Undertaking responsibility for an orphan
(كَفَالَةُ الْيَتِيم)
من موسوعة المصطلحات الإسلامية
المعنى الاصطلاحي
Taking charge of the affairs of a child whose father has died, and striving to achieve his religious and worldly interests, thereby seeking reward from Allah.
الشرح المختصر
"Kafaalat-ul-yateem", which means sponsorship of the orphan, is a praiseworthy deed that Islam approves of and praises its doer. It includes kind treatment of an orphan, raising him, striving to fulfill his interests in terms of food and clothing, and increasing his wealth, if he has any. If he does not possess wealth, then one spends on him and clothes him, seeking thereby the reward from Allah, the Exalted. Through this kind treatment, one alleviates the pain of the orphan's calamity (of losing his parent), keeps him from begging, and protects his dignity (against the humiliation of neediness). Raising an orphan and caring for him is of two types: 1- Religious upbringing, by educating him and disciplining him according to the foundations and principles of Islam. 2- Worldly upbringing, by tending to what benefits him in his worldly affairs, such as his food, clothing, accommodation, and so on.
التعريف
To take good care of an orphan child and provide what the orphan needs of food, clothes and education, and to seek to ensure the growth of the orphan’s money, if any, doing all this for God’s sake.