n37 30 The Major Sins - Devouring wealth of Orphans-Abu Usama 917

The Major Sins - Devouring Wealth of Orphans

Speaker: Abu Usama

Opening

(بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim)

(الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - al-ḥamdu lillāhi waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā rasūli-llāh)

Introduction to the Major Sin

وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ أَحْسَنُ الصَّلَاةِ وَالسَّلَامِ اجْتَنِبُوا السَّبْعَ الْمُوبِقَاتِ وَذَكَرَ مِنْهَا أَكْلَ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ

Azzawajal have mercy upon him. He says the next Kabira is the major crime and the major sin of devouring and eating the monies of the orphan, unjustly.

And he brings only two ayat of the Quran from Surah An-Nisa. And one hadith that we've been dealing with in a few of the chapters that have already proceeded.

First Evidence from Quran

The first ayat that he brings is the statement of Allah Ta'ala:

Verily those people who eat the monies of the orphans oppressively, with dhulm. They do nothing but eat inside of their stomachs the fire. And they're going to enter into the Sa'ir, into the Jahannam.

Second Evidence from Quran

And he brought the second ayat in which Allah Ta'ala said:

And do not come close to the money of the orphan except to make it better. Do not come close to it, not to mention using it. Don't come close to the money of the orphan except to make it better.

Third Evidence - The Hadith

And the last dillil that he used for this short chapter that even though it's a short chapter, the meaning of it is azeem and thaqeel. Is the hadith in Bukhari Muslim:

Abu Huraira radiallahu anhu said that he heard the Prophet say, Sallallahu alayhi wasallam:

Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

Stay away from the seven things that will destroy you.

And he mentioned from them, eating the money of the orphan.

Who is the Yateem (Orphan)?

As it relates to the orphan, Ikhwani, the orphan in Arabic is the yatim. And the yatim has a special position in this deen. And there are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings that we have as it relates to the yatim.

Some of us are sitting here and we think that the yatim is not connected to us. Because we don't have any relatives who are yatim. We may not even know we're yatim. But the yatim is connected to everyone in this masjid.

Before we get into that, who is the yatim? The orphan is the boy or the girl who lost their father when they were young. If they lost their father and he was a teenager, he was old, that is not a yatim.

The yatim is that miskeen, that daif, child who lost his father or her father when they were young. That's the yatim.

The Orphan May Be Rich

And the yatim may be a person who is ghani, he may be rich, filthy rich. And even if he is rich, he is still daif.

And the delil of that is that the prophet says sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

After he got on the minbar to show everyone the importance of the issue:

Verily, he says sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, I am bothered, I am concerned about the money of the two weak people.

So even if the yatim is rich, he described him as being weak. Verily, I am worried about and I am concerned for the monies of the two weak people.

The first one is the yatim, his father is gone. So those people who are older than him, those people who are responsible for his estate and his money. They steal his money and he can't do anything about it because of his daif, his weakness and his small size and his age.

And the second one who I am concerned about the money because she is weak is the woman. And we are going to deal with that inshallah in some chapters that are going to come. Concerning the man who marries a woman, he does what he has to do with her. And then he runs away without giving her a dowry, a mahr.

So the point of all of that is that the yatim, even if he is ghani, he is daif. And he deserves to be paid attention to. And his position in the religion of al-islam, ikhwani, is a high position.

The Virtues of Caring for the Orphan

He told us, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'ad radiallahu anhu:

Sahih al-Bukhari

He said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, I will be along with the one who takes care of an orphan. Whether that orphan is his orphan or someone else's orphan. I will be like this with them in jannah.

Sahl ibn Sa'ad radiallahu anhu, the companion and narrator of the hadith. He said, when rasulallah said this hadith, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he split his fingers. He didn't say like this, he said like that.

And that is because, as the ulama of al-islam said, no one, no zawja, no other nabi, no angel, no child is going to be with rasulallah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in jannah because he has the maqam al-mahmood. That is only for him and no one else because he is the sayyid, the bani adam.

So his wives will be in close proximity to him, but they won't be with him like that. The awliya will be in close proximity, but they won't be like that. The mujahideen, the one who takes care of the yateem, you will be close to the prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

And where is rasulallah's maqam al-mahmood? It is in the jannat al-firdaws.

So the position of the yateem in the deen is exalted and it is high.

Softening the Heart

Another proof of that, the exalted position of the yateem and how he is connected to everyone here. Is that he says, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

Whoever wants to get rid of and do away with the harshness or the hardness of his heart. Then go and find an orphan and rub his head.

So if you are a person who can listen to the book of Allah being recited by a good reciter. That reciter may start crying, but it doesn't affect you. You never cry for no reason at all. Someone close to you, your mother may die. May Allah prevent that from happening. Unless they die on a tawheed. A person's close relative, loved one may die. And the man can't even force himself to cry. Because he has the qaswa in his heart.

He is shadeed with his wife, shadeed with his children. He doesn't want to be like that, but he seems as if he can't help it. When he goes away, he feels sorry for the way he dealt with his children. And he wants to find out, how can I get rid of this shidda.

He says sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

Let him go and find an orphan and simply rub his head.

Wallahi we believe in that. We believe in that. Those people who put the taqdeem of the aql on the naql. They may say, well I rubbed the head of an orphan and my heart didn't become soft. That's because Allah didn't want the tawheed for you.

So we believe in those issues, that the orphan is a creation. That all you have to do is touch his head. So if you know of an orphan and you have this and you suffer from this. Or your heart is already soft and you want to make it more softer. Then rub the head of the orphan.

The Status of the Orphan in the Ummah

The prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also said. In explaining and showing to us the position of the yateem in this ummah:

Allah the most high will not purify. He will not cleanse an ummah. They do not give the weak ones from amongst them their rights.

And the yateem have a lot of huquq. As Allah ta'ala mentioned in the Quran:

Have you seen the one who disbelieves and he denies the hereafter. That is the one who repels and he is repulsive towards the yaqeen or the yateem.

Do not be rough and tough with them. The person who is rough and tough with the yateem. It is as if he doesn't believe he is going to be raised up yawmul qiyamah to deal with. What he put forth as it relates to that yateem.

So the yateem in this deen he has a position that is alim. Whether it is your relative or not your relative.

Call to Care for Orphans

So those of you who know like what's been going around recently. On one of the good muslim internet sites.

There were two young children. They lost their parents in America, muslims.

So the muslims were looking for someone to take care of these two children. Because if the muslims didn't hurry up and come to take the responsibility. They were going to be put in a home with kuffar.

When we hear about issues like that. We don't adopt them because adoption is not permissible in Al-Islam. But we become the kafil, the one who is responsible for that yateem.

Being an Orphan is Not a Deficiency

Another issue about the yateem that is misunderstood. Is that you may be a yateem. And you may feel that your life is difficult. Because you had to grow up depending on Allah azwajal. And then upon yourself. And there was no one to take care of you. That's why he is the daif. Because he doesn't have his father. Whose job it is to defend him and to look out for him.

So that absent father who is not defending his children right now. But he is living. You are no better than leaving your child as an orphan.

The responsible muslim father is the one. Who is going to go to the school. To deal with the problems that his child is facing in the school. The kuffar who study with his child. Are using abusive language towards his child. He is in the school when the bell rings. Before the assembly. I want the headmaster, I want his teacher. I want the parents of that child.

The father is never that busy. Where he has to say to his mother or his wife. You go sort it out. And she can't even speak english.

The yateem is daif. Because the father is not there to defend for him.

Great Scholars Who Were Orphans

For the person who grows up as a yateem. Or he is a yateem right now. Or he knows of a yateem. The messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Was the imam of the yateem. He was the imam of the people

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But if we as husbands and brothers. Are not given an example. Then how is it expected that our women. Are going to be uppermost and foremost in that.

The Status of Widows

So behind every yateem. There is a woman who has a great responsibility. And it's not strange ikhwani that. Al-Islam even gave her a special position. The prophet said about her. Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

Whoever goes after. Taking care of a woman who is a widow. An armala. She lost her husband. She may have children, she may not have children. She's an armala. Whoever goes after taking care. And looking after the woman who's a widow. In our religion. He will be like the mujahid. He will be like the one who is praying. And he never goes to sleep. And he never stops praying. He is like the one who is fasting. And he never breaks his fast.

So when the muslims were united. And they were brothers. And they were holding on to this kitab and sunnah. One of the companions will hear a hadith like that. And he'll go to look for the girl. To find out who's the girl who has been widowed. I want to marry her.

And his wife would not say I seek refuge in Allah. Over my dead body. I'm going to my mother's house. I want a divorce, I want a divorce. She knew. That she would be helping a person. Who this was his characteristic.

Call to Responsible Men

So I say to you, the men from amongst you. As for he who was not a man. He who was not in control of his situation. With wisdom and justice. Then this is not for you.

But for the responsible men. Marry the armala from the ummah. From your country, from this country. Marry those women. Who have been abandoned. By our brothers. And they don't take care of their children. Marry those women who. They are taking care of yatama. The aytam. And that's the description. That the prophet gave for them. Sallallahu alayhi wa ala alihi wasallam.

Understanding Al-Ma'ruf (What is Acceptable)

Concerning the yateem. There's an important point. Al-imam al-dhahabi said:

After bringing those two ayat. And all the yateem. Were poor. And he ate with al-maroof. So no revenge. And what increased over al-maroof. Was a haraam. And al-maroof. Was returned back to the knowledge. Of the pious people. Of the evil things. And that's the end of the chapter.

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But this kalam of al-imam al-dhahabi. Should be written in dhaib about to share with you right now, you students of knowledge have to remember this.

Al-Imam Al-Zahabi said:

Every person who is responsible for Yateem, if you are poor, then it's okay for you to eat from the monies that you're protecting of the Yateem. It's permissible, you're miskeen, you're faqeer.

It's okay for you to use his money, his estate, to survive because you're taking care of him. But you should eat with ma'ruf. You should eat with what is acceptable, with what is reasonable.

The orphan has 100,000 pounds. All he sees from that is 10,000 pounds. And you took the rest saying, I needed that to facilitate his property. And you brought a nice car and you have a nice house for yourself. No. You eat with what is ma'ruf.

Al-Imam Al-Zahabi, and this is the point, he said:

And the ma'ruf, the orphan, our religion is determined by what the custom. The believers who do not have dirty intentions, bad ideas. The customs in Al-Islam are important.

Because the customs, the urf, can make something halal or haram. The urf, the customs, it has a place in this religion. As long as it doesn't go against the deen.

Examples of Urf (Custom)

For an example, when we travel, if you travel from here to London, you can shorten your prayer, you can combine your prayer. Why? Is there a hadith that said that? There's no hadith that said that. As a matter of fact, The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم combined his prayer for distance way shorter than that.

He combined his prayer for distance from this masjid to the airport, shorter than that. He combined his salah, when he was going for the hajj, and he went to Dhul-Hulaifah. From Medina to Dhul-Hulaifah, it's a short distance, 6 miles.

Less than that, he shortened his prayers. He never gave us a distance by which we are allowed to shorten our prayers. So what did the scholar say? You shorten the prayer according to what is the custom of the people, whenever they're going to take a trip.

So from here to London is a trip to us, to the Muslims. So that urf counts. So the urf is determined by the Muslims, and not by the kufar.

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Forgive them, Ya Muhammad. And order with the custom, the custom of the Muslims. And turn away from the jahileen.

So, this is a book of a mu'idah. But Al-Imam Al-Dahabi dealt with a fiqh issue. If you want to give a person the dalil, what is the urf? What's the definition of the urf? You can find it in Al-Dahabi's book, Kitab Al-Kabair.

Amongst other places. But you should remember this for your studies in the future.

Testing the Orphan Before Giving His Money

The last point as it relates to the yateem is, those people who are responsible for the orphan, you need to address and you need to study those ayahs from Surah An-Nisa.

Those ahkaam that are telling you how to take care of the money of the orphan. From those ayahs, Allah Ta'ala He said:

Those who are responsible for the orphan, and they're growing up, then test them to see their intellect. When they reach the age of maturity, and they are at the age where they can get married, test them to see their intellect.

To see whether or not they are in a position to take the money. To be responsible for the money. Because there's another ayah that says:

Do not give the foolish ones the money.

You can't give someone the money, and he's not going to deal with the money correctly. You give him 100,000 pounds, and he goes and buys a car for 150,000 pounds. He's from the Sufaha.

Don't give those people the money, from your children, your wife, your relatives. If a person is Safi, you will be a person who makes dua to Allah, and your dua not accepted.

ثَلَاثَةٌ يَدْعُونَ اللَّهَ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُمْ رَجُلٌ كَانَتْ تَحْتَهُ امْرَأَةٌ سَيِّئَةُ الْخُلُقِ وَلَمْ يُطَلَّقْهَا وَرَجُلٌ أَقْرَضَ رَجُلًا دَيْنًا فَلَمْ يُشْهِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَجُلٌ آتَى سَفِيهَا مَالَهُ وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَلَا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاءَ أَمْوَالَكُمُ

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That's the meaning of bad character here. That's what the scholar said. They didn't mean all of our wives who make us angry sometimes because they're from the daughters of Adam, as we make them angry because we're from the sons of Adam.

So don't think this ayah, hadith is telling you, divorce your wife because you're mad with her right now over some spat that you had, no. The hadith is talking about the woman who you doubt, her sincerity to you. Or the terrible woman in her akhlaq, she's really a bad girl.

The lady from Ahlul Kitab, who drinks khammah. The lady from Ahlul Kitab, who smokes marijuana, and watches dirty films, and you're still married to her. What kind of love is that? You make dua to Allah, and there's no answer for that dua.

Why? Because of your language, and the way you're dealing with her. All of your sins and your dhunub and maasi, they're so great, Allah doesn't answer.

Second one is a man who borrowed another man money, and he didn't have him to write it down.

It's your responsibility when you give a debt, that you tell the one who took the money, you have to write it down. It's wajib, kabeer al-sagheer. He'll make dua to Allah, and his dua is not answered.

Because when it's time to pay the money, that guy may forget, he may forget, how much did I give you? He may deny it. Then there's fitna between the Muslims. And you've got to close the door to the fitna by saying, Here's the paper, you wrote it down.

This is your handwriting with two witnesses. In your culture, your uncle borrows money from you, and you're shy to say, Uncle, we have to write it down. You're shy, you're embarrassed, and you don't even say it.

Here, the culture of the earth, let's throw it out of the window. In your culture, the lady walks around with no shirt on her chest, on her upper body. We're going to throw that out of the window.

The culture here has no place. In your culture, when an elder comes, you make ruku to him and you bend down to him. We're going to throw that out of the window.

The third person will make dua to Allah جل و عز,and it's not answered, and that is the individual who gave the money to the safih. And Allah said, Don't give your money to the foolish ones.

Instructions for Giving the Money

So in this particular ayah, Allah جل و عز said:

Test them when they reach the age of marriage. Test their intellect. If you find that they are capable, then give them the money. Give them the money.

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So in this particular ayah, Allah جل و عز said:

Test them when they reach the age of marriage. Test their intellect. If you find that they are capable, then give them the money. Give them the money.

And whoever is rich, then do not take from their money. You have enough of your own money. You just give them ihsan by taking care of them.

You don't need their money. And whoever is poor, and he's taking care of an orphan, then let him eat with what is ma'ruf. Let him eat, let him take from his money what is reasonable, acceptable.

And do not eat their money and devour their money in an attempt to get rid of the money before they grow up. He's getting bigger and bigger. So each year, the amount of money that you're investing from his property is increasing.

Because pretty soon he's going to be of the age of maturity. And you want him to be at zero when he gets to that age.

Don't eat their money in an attempt to get rid of it before they grow up.

And if you give them their money because you feel that they are intelligent, they can handle it:

Then take some witnesses and say, come, look, I gave him his money and I'm free. In the dunya and yawm al qiyamah.

So you need to come to understand this ayah and what the ulema said about that ayah.

Final Warning to Guardians

Anyone who is responsible for the monies of the orphan, let him fear Allah Ta'ala as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said in the Quran:

Surah An-Nisa 4:9

Let the one who is responsible for the money be afraid of a situation where had he left his children behind and they were young and weak, he would have been afraid for them.

None of us wants to leave our children like that. The companion thought he was going to die. Amr ibn al-'As, a rich man, Ya Rasulullah, I wanna give all of my money away in sadaqah before I die in this sickness.

Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told him:

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

Ya Amr ibn al-'As, for you to leave your children self-sufficient with money is better for you than to leave them asking the people, in need of the people, beggars. Leave them with some money. Teach them how to be self-sufficient to work for themselves.

Teaching Self-Sufficiency

And again, we have to mention this, Ikhwani, because it's one of the problems we have as an ummah. The welfare state, the welfare system, it does injustice to the tarbiyah of the child. Show your son that you are a worker and you teach him work ethics.

Don't leave your children du'afa, where they need the people.

So, those of you who are responsible for the monies of the orphan, your nieces, your nephews, your best friend nephew in charge of his son, his daughter, then fear that situation just as you would fear dying and your children are left behind like that. All of us are afraid of that.

All of us who have children are afraid, if I die, who's going to take care of my children? So let him fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Distribution of Wealth

And when it's time to give the money of the dead person, the deceased, you're going to distribute his money. If the relative of the deceased comes, if the orphan comes, if the poor person comes, while you're distributing it, be sure to give them some of that money.

The orphan, he has a position in this religion and those of us who are responsible for them, should fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as it relates to their huquq.

Following the Prophet's Example

The prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as it relates to the issue of the orphan in this religion, he used to go the extra yard to look out for the well-being of the orphan, and that's his sunnah that we want to call all of you to.