Orphan and Ramadan: A Great Combination
By Saghir A. Aslam
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
(The following information is provided solely to educate the Muslim community about investing and financial planning. It is hoped that the Ummah will benefit from this effort through greater financial empowerment, enabling the community to live securely with dignity and fulfill their religious and moral obligations towards charitable activities)
Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an, the month of fasting, it’s the month of getting closer to Allah (SWT) and doing more than on average basis to add more good deeds to our account in the hereafter.
The month of Ramadan is so sacred that the reward for each good deed is increased 70 times than that of a normal month. It’s also the month of charity, for anything you give in this month the reward will be doubled, tripled, or more.
There are several charitable actions that Allah (SWT) has mentioned in the holy Qur’an and has encouraged us to do. One of them is helping and honoring orphans.
This has been mentioned several times in the Qur’an which makes it clear that it is one of the most important actions for a Muslim to take in his/her life, particularly those who have the means to support orphans. An orphan child needs in-kind support, i.e., food, clothes, etc. which are important, but what they need more is love, compassion, consoling, and mentoring. They need to be offered opportunities to be successful in life. Every child has a dream and so do orphans. It’s all about fulfilling their dreams.
Due to the loss of one or both parents, the trauma that is caused to an orphan child is immense and it doesn’t go away in a short period, in fact in some cases it doesn’t go away for the rest of their life. To help them overcome the trauma, one has to offer more than just bread and shelter. One has to develop an effective plan to help the orphan child to be successful in life. Create a family-oriented, secure, and friendly environment for the orphan child to live and grow in. Offer him/her the best available education opportunities. This is why in SURAH (AL-FAJR) Allah (SWT) has mentioned:
(No! But you don’t honor the orphan)
So, it’s not just about giving the orphan the bare minimum; food, cloth, etc. but it’s about honoring them just as we do to our children. Providing them with the best support that we can and treating them with dignity and respect as we treat our children.
One way to support is 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 Eid day as most of us do. The earlier you give fitra the better it is as organizations like Saba Homes can get the Orphans something for Eid.
There are many orphan-support programs run by various organizations that you can choose from. A unique and one-of-its-kind orphan support programs is Saba Homes where orphan girls are treated like daughters and not numbers. They get the best support for a secure future to become literate and civilized citizens. You can donate online byvisiting:
www.sabatrust.org or emailing: info@saba.org .
(Saghir A. Aslam only explains strategies and formulas that he has been using. He is merely providing information, and NO ADVICE is given. Mr Aslam does not endorse or recommend any broker, brokerage firm, or any investment at all, nor does he suggest that anyone will earn a profit when or if they purchase stocks, bonds, or any other investments. All stocks or investment vehicles mentioned are for illustrative purposes only. Mr Aslam is not an attorney, accountant, real estate broker, stockbroker, investment advisor, or certified financial planner. Mr Aslam does not have anything for sale.)
