ORPHANS IN ISLAM

Article written by: Jafar Hasan

The existence and thanksgiving of parents is generally not realized till the time when one becomes a
parent too. Or sometimes till the time when one starts earning hard-earned money and becomes financially independent. In many cultures, the value of parents is never appreciated. However there is a group which treasures the love of parents much more than anyone. That group is of the Orphans. An orphan is the child or the minor who, by the will of Allah, has no parents or just one parent. In Islam, the absence of a father either by death or abandonment or any other reason results in the child becoming an orphan. The child remains an orphan till he/she reaches the age of maturity or puberty. Because orphans are minor, they are physically weak in the society and are mostly challenged by poverty. In today’s world, the situation of the orphan depends on the geographical location of the child. For example, an orphan in Africa or Latin America or Asia is more likely to be under-fed as well as poor in comparison to the orphans in Western countries. Often, orphans in poor regions get widespread diseases too because of improper hygiene and lack of availability of proper food.

There is no doubt that supporting the orphans is emphasized by all the religions as well as the rejecters of religions. But Islam is the only faith that has extensively mentioned orphans in the Quran and also in the traditions of the Prophet and the Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them). In fact, the word ‘orphan/s’ (Arabic word Yatim) has been mentioned more than 20 times in the Holy Book indicating the importance that Islam lays down for the parentless children. The many merciful verses, besides giving hope to the orphans, also prove a point that Allah has not taken away the parents just because He hates those children but because it is a test for the believers including the orphans. Let us understand how Islam wants to test and teach us.

Quran & Mary

When ‪#‎Quran‬ provides examples for believers, the examples aren't always men but also two women; one of them is ‪#‎Mary‬, Mother of ‪#‎Jesus‬(pbut).

Mary stood like a mountain against people's false accusations and held up Jesus like a beacon of guidance in the darkness of that time.

Quran considers Mary as an honurable and chaste woman who stood against all material values and ‪#‎God‬ bestowed her the merit to be Jesus' mother.

According to Quran, Mary (pbuh) is among those ‪#‎women‬ who made the world full of light.

Ayatollah ‪‎Khamenei, 5/27/05

Human Rights in Islam (Part 2)

 ::Writer: Grand Ayatollah Khamenei::

Click Here To Read Part 1

(1- The UN: Impotent and Ineffectual)

The first question is whether the efforts made during the decades since the Second World War in the name of human rights have been successful or not. The addresses, the assemblies and the sessions held in the United Nations, and the claims made regarding human rights: have they succeeded in bringing man closer to his genuine rights, or to at least the major portion of deprived humanity? The answer to this question is not so difficult, for an observation of the present conditions is enough to prove that these attempts have not been successful until now.

A glance at the conditions of the underdeveloped societies of the world, who form the major part of the human population, is sufficient to reveal the fact that not only the major part of humanity could not achieve their true rights during the last fifty years, but the methods of encroaching upon the rights of the deprived nations have become more sophisticated and complex and more difficult to remedy.

 We cannot accept the claims made by those who claim to be champions of human rights, while the bitter realities of the African and Asian nations and the millions of hungry human beings are before our eyes, and while we observe constant violation of the rights of many nations.

Islamic Teachings in Brief (Part 1)

Religion refers to the beliefs and a series of practical and moral instructions that the prophets have related on behalf of Allah to guide and lead human beings.

Believing in these tenets and performing these instructions result in man's prosperity and happiness in this world and in the world Hereafter.

So if we abide by religion and follow the orders of Allah and the Prophet (S), we will become prosperous not only in this short life, but also in the everlasting and endless world Hereafter.

We are aware that a happy and prosperous person is one who has a true objective in his life and who does not live in misdeed and aberration. He possesses a good and praiseworthy demeanor and performs good deeds and has a confident, strong, and peaceful heart in this turbulent world.

Human Rights in Islam (Part 1)

In the Name of the Most High

::Writer: Grand Ayatollah Khamenei::

The issue of human rights is one of the most fundamental human issues and also one of the most sensitive and controversial ones. During the recent decades, this problem was more political than being either ethical or legal. Although the influence of political motives, rivalries, and considerations have made difficult the correct formulation of this problem , but this should not prevent thinkers and genuine humanists from probing into this problem and ultimately reaching a conclusion.

In the West, though the issue of human rights was raised by the thinkers of the post-Renaissance period, it is only since the last two hundred years or so that it became an issue of prominence among the political and social issues of Western society and an issue of fundamental significance. Perhaps, when we examine the causes of many social changes and political upheavals, we will find the marks of its presence and its principal ideals. During the last decades this emphasis reached its climax in the West. With the formation of the UN after the Second World War and the subsequent drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a concrete model came into existence as a result of this emphasis that can serve as a criterion and basis of our judgment and analysis of the ideals voiced in this regard during the last two hundred years and especially in the last few decades.

What is the basic difference between spirituality in Islam and spirituality in Christianity?

The value and credibility of spirituality in every religion are connected directly to genuineness and validity of that religion itself. The religious sources of Christianity present such doctrines that are opposed to reason in such a stark way that even Christians themselves acknowledge not to mention the fact that the spirituality which emanates from such sources leads to numerous deviations. This is the basic difference between spirituality in Islam and spirituality in Christianity,

 That is to say, keeping it in view the value of Christian sources, spirituality in its traditional meaning is not acceptable and it is at times opposed to reason and it cannot help seeker of perfection reach his goal. On the other hand, the spirituality of the modern-day West is even deprived of this type of weak connection to revelation.  When it comes to spirituality in Islam, it originates from Islam’s revealed doctrines.  In Islamic culture, it is not correct to say that one part of your life is material and another part is spiritual. In fact all aspects of one’s life including marriage, work, studying, even entertainments, sleeping and so on can be spiritual, if they are connected to the real and genuine teachings which prophets brought down.

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