فَأَمَّا اليَتيمَ فَلا تَقهَر

Therefore, as for the orphan, do not oppress him.

EXPOSITION

God has placed tremendous emphasis on the care for orphans and has reserved serious chastisement for those who oppress them, because the orphan has no direct helper except God.^{‎[1]Qurtubi, 21/100.} Indeed, the orphan is not only the one who is without parents, but also the one without helpers.^{‎[2]Tibyan, 10/370.} Hence, do not frown in the face of the orphan,^{‎[3]Daqaiq, 14/322.} do not belittle them or diminish their importance,^{‎[4]Zubdah, 7/456.} do not humiliate them,^{‎[5]Maraghi, 30/184.} do not take away their rights,^{‎[6]Shawkani, 5/559.} and show compassion and mercy to them.^{‎[7]Samarqandi, 3/592.} The feeling of being orphaned is enough hardship for a person, so do not add to the orphan’s strife.^{‎[8]Mudarrisi, 18/176.} Do not oppress the orphan in any shape or form.

In a society that organised itself around family trees and tribes, the one without living parents was clearly cut off and easy prey. In fact, with tribal wars that saw no end,^{‎[9]Subhani.M, 1/84.} anyone who was orphaned from capable guardians or protectors shared the same fate. As for the orphan, do not oppress him was a call that found its resonance in many orphans of the time because it called for their fostering rather than their exploitation.^{‎[10]Qutb, 6/3928.}

It is a commandment to the Prophet and those who follow him to reflect the beneficence they received from God upon the orphans. Just as God took them into His special care after knowing their poverty and their potential, they too are called to see the poverty and potential of the orphans and ease their hardships.^{‎[11]Ibn Kathir, 8/413.}

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. Abū Awfā has narrated: ‘We were gathering around the Messenger (s) when a young boy came and said: “I am a young orphan with an orphaned sister and a widowed mother. Feed us from what God has fed you, may He bestow upon you from what He has until you are pleased.” The Prophet (s) said: “How beautiful are the words you have spoken, young boy! O Bilāl, would you get what we have of food?” So he came with twenty-one dates. So the Messenger (s) said: “Seven for you and seven for your sister and seven for your mother.” … The Messenger (s) said: “None of you comes upon an orphan and shows care to him and places his hand upon his head out of compassion except that God writes ten good deeds for him, erases from his record ten bad deeds, and raises his rank by one degree for every single hair [on the head of the orphan].”’^{‎[12]Tabrisi, 10/767.}
2. The Messenger of God said: ‘I and the orphan’s caretaker are like these two in paradise on condition that he is mindful of God, the all-mighty.’ And he referred to his index and middle fingers.^{‎[13]Nur, 5/597.}

[1] Qurtubi, 21/100.
[2] Tibyan, 10/370.
[3] Daqaiq, 14/322.
[4] Zubdah, 7/456.
[5] Maraghi, 30/184.
[6] Shawkani, 5/559.
[7] Samarqandi, 3/592.
[8] Mudarrisi, 18/176.
[9] Subhani.M, 1/84.
[10] Qutb, 6/3928.
[11] Ibn Kathir, 8/413.
[12] Tabrisi, 10/767.
[13] Nur, 5/597.