Understanding Orphans
An orphan is a child who has lost their parents, leaving them alone in this world without support. There is no one to wipe away their tears or share in their joys and sorrows. The experience of being an orphan is profoundly challenging and significantly impacts the orphan’s character and life. In this article, we present a selection of heartfelt quotes about orphans.
Meaningful Quotes about Orphans
- There is no better home than one that accommodates an orphan with kindness.
- The tears of an orphan are the jewels from God.
- I find myself as lost as a stranger when night falls, with an orphan alone on a festive day.
- A child born without a father is half an orphan; a child born without a mother is a complete orphan.
- If someone takes in an orphan from a Muslim family, providing for their food and drink until they can become self-sufficient, Paradise is guaranteed for them. Furthermore, freeing a Muslim from bondage is a means of salvation from the Fire.
The Poem: A Perspective on the Dignity of Orphans
The poem “A Perspective on the Dignity of Orphans” is written by the renowned Saudi poet Abdul Rahman Al-Ashmawi. Born in 1956 in the village of ‘Ara in the Al-Bahah region of southern Saudi Arabia, he earned his Bachelor’s degree from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Arabic Language and later completed his postgraduate studies, obtaining a Ph.D. in rhetoric, criticism, and Islamic literature. Al-Ashmawi is the author of several poetry collections, including “The Seller of Basil,” “The Tragedy of History,” “A Page from the Memoirs of a Repentant Addict,” and “O Dweller of the Heart,” among others.
The greatest of your attributes is to be generous,
And to be kind and compassionate to others.
It is your unique quality to be distinguished,
With wisdom in managing affairs and matters.
You navigate through life, leading it,
In truth, bringing joy to a troubled heart.
When faced with hardships, you rise taller,
Refusing to live a life of disgrace.
It is your noble trait to see the world clearly,
And to keep your heart pure and sound.
To make history fill its cup,
And you be its cherished essence.
Your arrows fly not to harm the innocent,
But to guard the fearful and the deprived.
You strive for knowledge, drawing nearer,
To God, not for others to say you are learned.
Your highest virtue lies in soaring high,
With the wings of justice defending the oppressed.
O bearer of the world on shoulders of benevolence,
O, who I see as a rival to harshness.
O seeker of goodness in this age that
Still bears the burden of unfulfilled loyalty.
For good has branches that bear sweet fruit,
So grant its bounty to the fearful and the destitute.
And carry into its shade the child who
Is still trapped in the pits of suffering.
Perhaps the one who wipes the tears from their eyes,
Has witnessed blessings that are abundant.
Look at the face of the orphan and be,
Nothing but a kind and dear friend to them.
Draw the letters of compassion around their forehead,
For compassion can be visibly expressed.
And when you stroke their head, you will see,
In your palms, flowers of fragrance blooming.
And you will behold a haven of love in your heart,
Creating a melody of pulsing affection.
And you will see countless meadows
Offering you the fragrance of life’s blossoms.
And the gardens will delight you with their beauty,
And show you a face adorned with tenderness.
Look at the orphan’s face and offer them,
A kindness that allows them to live dignified.
Open for them the treasure of compassion, for truly,
Compassion shelters the wounded heart.
Without compassion, you would find no joy,
And without the heavens, you would see no stars.
Without the winds, there would be no blossoms,
And without the seas, there would be no clouds.
Without branches, you would not see their shade,
And without the thunder, you would hear no songs.
Without spring, you would not see its flowers,
Sing, nor would you feel its gentle breeze.
O supporter of orphans, your cup has become
Full, and its taste is exquisite.
Yuthm is but an open arena,
From which we prepare for a grand life.
And we turn deprivation into a great blessing,
That removes sorrows from the heart.
God has apportioned destinies for His servants,
So everyone receives their share as decreed.
The happiness of a person lies in being content with
What God has divided, embracing acceptance.
They said, “The orphan,” and I replied, “Who is more orphaned than one,”
“Who exemplifies noble character in their deeds?”
They said, “The orphan,” and I replied, “Who has more claim to being an orphan,”
“Than one living among the noble is mistreated?”
How many, bathed in the blessings of their parents,
Have not tread the path of guidance with clarity?
O supporter of orphans, your kindness is a haven,
Do not let it yield thorns or bitterness.
For it only bears flowers that are refreshing,
And aromas of herbs and sweet basil.
Rejoice, for the earth shall become a refuge
For the virtuous, announcing their honor.
Rejoice in the company of the best who tread the earth,
In a paradise filled with satisfaction and delight.
They said, “The orphan,” while they expressed their sorrows,
And wept as does the healthy for the sick.
I said, “Grant them dignity with kindness,
For perhaps an act of compassion can lead to healing.”
And perhaps the tenderness of a compassionate gaze can bring forth
Love in the heart, making the gentle feel blamed.
They said, “The orphan,” and the fragrance of my poem flowed,
And the words turned around in reverence.
And I heard from it an eternal wisdom,
It presented to me its recorded message:
It is enough for the orphan to know that the one
Who spread guidance among people also lived as an orphan.
Messages about Orphans
Message One:
A child… yes, a small child.
A child innocent…
An orphaned child…
No mother to shower him with affection…
No father to meet his needs and show kindness…
No brother to share his burdens…
No sister to pamper him…
Alone, with no one beside him…
Sharing his concerns and sorrows…
How harsh this world is and how difficult…
Message Two:
A small child… is he the owner of this voice?!…
I could not believe what I had seen…
A child condemned by fate to remain an orphan throughout his life…
I approached him, holding him in my arms, and wept over his pain and cries…
Do you know that when I held him…
His moans and cries ceased…
He looked into my eyes and smiled…
And then he fell asleep…
He slept in my arms as if he were a child not yet forty days old…
He slept in a deep slumber…
And I sat there watching him…
Gazing into his sleeping eyes…
Admiring his innocent features…
And the soft strands of his hair…
A beautiful child… very beautiful…
Message Three:
Being an orphan is a difficult and heavy word…
Orphans struggle to even utter it…
Or even to hear it from others…
Being an orphan is a heart-wrenching term…
It ignites a fire in the soul…
The limbs tremble…
Message Four:
Being an orphan is a sensitive realization…
When the orphan sees every father playing with his children…
And witnesses every peck on the cheek at the dinner table…
Message Five:
Being an orphan is a long tale of suffering…
Where tender feelings are lost…
Searching among the beings for compassion…
Hoping to discover a warm embrace…
Like the one from your father…
Message Six:
The lamentations of a tormented orphan…
I am the orphan, wronged and denied my rights…
Enduring daily struggles without anyone to defend me…
Even when others err, I bear the blame and no one speaks for me…
Everyone scolds me when I complain; no one listens…
Even my feelings I cannot express…
And within me lies a deep fear that I conceal…
Reflections on Orphans
Reflection One:
May God have mercy on you, my father – a vast mercy that fills the heavens and the earth. Since your departure, I have become an orphan, with pain and sorrow crushing my heart. For every drop of blood that flowed from your pure body, I pray to God for forgiveness, and for every good deed, I ask Him to multiply it for you. For every ongoing charity, I beseech Him to credit it for you, forgive all your sins, and protect you on the Day when creatures stand before the Creator. May He reunite us in a garden as vast as the heavens and the earth, and may your station be higher than mine so that I may not be greater than you.
Reflection Two:
An orphan may be wealthy, lacking not in wealth, perhaps being the most charitable and compassionate to the less fortunate. Yet, he remains impoverished in his soul, yearning for a kind father to accompany him to the mosque, to sit with him like a warm embrace at the suhoor and iftar table, needing a gentle touch, a kind word, and companions around him.
Reflection Three:
God Almighty and our noble Prophet have instructed us to treat orphans kindly. An orphan is defined as someone who has lost one or both parents. Thus, it becomes our duty to show compassion and treat them with kindness. The loss of a parent at a young age is among the hardest burdens any child can bear, as this event forces them to relinquish their childhood, often against their will. The father is the support, the friend, and the provider; he is a source of compassion, and the mother is the one who nurtures, bears, gives birth, raises, and envelops her children with love.