Honor the Orphan This Ramadan
By Saghir Aslam
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Ramadan is the month of the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, a month of fasting, a month of getting closer to Allah SWT and doing more than what one normally does to add to virtuous deeds to our account in the hereafter. It’s also a month of giving charity - anything you give in this month gets double, triple, or many more times reward.
There are several charitable acts that Allah SWT has mentioned in the Qur’an and has asked us to do. One of them is to help and honor the orphans. It has been mentioned at several places in the Qur’an. It is a religious duty that we must all fulfill, especially those who have been blessed with wealth and those who have the means to support the needy, especially theorphans.
An orphan child needs not only in-kind support, i.e., food, clothes, etc which are important, but also love, compassion, counseling, and mentoring. He/she needs emotional support. Orphan children need to be offered every opportunity to be successful in life. Every child has a dream and so do they. It’s about fulfilling their dreams.
Due to the loss of one or both parents, the trauma an orphan experienses is immense and doesn’t go away in a short span of time; in fact, in some cases, it lingers on the whole life. To help orphans overcome the trauma they go through, one has to offer more than just bread and shelter to them. One has to develop an effective plan to help an orphan child to be eventually successful in life. Create a family-oriented, secure and friendly environment for him/herto live and grow in. Offer him/her the best available educational opportunities.
Which is why, in Surah Al-Fajr Allah SWT has mentioned: No! But you do not honor the orphan. 89:17
So it’s not just about giving the orphans the barest minimum food, clothes, etc., but it’s about respecting their feeelings and honoring them just as we treat our own children with love and affection.
One way ofextending such supportis to give your FITRA to the orphans. Make the best use of it and give it as soon as possible. Do not wait till the last minute on the day of Eid, as most of us generally do. The early you give the better it is as organizations like Saba Homes can get the orphans something for Eid or so.
There are many orphan support programs run by various organizations that you can choose from. A unique and one-of-its-kind orphan development program is Saba Homes where orphan girls are treated like daughters and not numbers. They get the best to secure a better future and become civilized citizens. You can donate online by visiting: www.sabatrust.org or can simply call the office on: 714.767.7222 or email: info@sabatrust.org.
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