Page 30 - The Mercy of Believers

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THE MERCY OF BELIEVERS

Mercy Shown to Orphans

Orphans must be treated not with harshness
but with beneficence

The mercifulness of believers may also be observed in
their approach to orphans. The noblest of attitudes that
must be shown to orphans, who need the care and inter-
est of others because they have lost their parents, are
made explicit in the Qur'an. One of the exemplary atti-
tudes believers meticulously adopt is "to do good" to or-
phans and "never to treat them harshly".
In societies in which the values of the Qur'an are not
observed, no system has been devised to protect the
rights of orphans or to secure their future. Protection,
such as it is, depends upon the conscience of the people.
For this reason, some ill-intentioned individuals may try
to benefit from the lack of experience and ignorance of
these children. Indeed, having no one to protect their
rights, orphans can readily become subject to abusive
treatment at the hands of those who have taken it upon
themselves to care for them. Such people may expect or-
phans to feel gratitude because they have taken them
under their wing or they may reproachfully remind them
of the kindnesses they have done them. On the other
hand, subjecting them to a different kind of treatment,
they may oppress these children in both the physical and
the spiritual sense. Nevertheless, Allah prohibits subject-
ing orphans to harsh treatment and condemns those who
mistreat them:
Have you seen him who denies the religion?