Quran Garden

In the previous session, we talked about the best insurance policy you can buy to guarantee your kid's future after your death.  If you missed it, please go back and listen.  In today's Tafsir, we will discuss the opposite case where your actions can be ruinous to you and your loved ones. 

Session 548

Chapter 4

Verse 10

Those who consume the property of orphans unjustly are actually swallowing fire into their own bellies: they will burn in the blazing Flame.  (Chapter 4: Verse 10)

Why does the Quran emphasize the issue of orphan care?  Because Allah wants people to accept His decree regarding the ones they love and need with contentment.  A young child understands that his father is the one caring and providing all that's beautiful in life, but what if a father passes away?  It's crucial for the child to see a supportive community of faith stepping in to help.  Such a community would act as numerous caring parents, replacing the loss of one.  So, when this child thinks about his own father's possible death, he would accept Allah's decree calmly.

We ask: What brings fear and anguish to a child?  When they see a friend around them losing a parent and then becoming neglected or poor, the child might think, "If my father dies, I'll be lost, too."  However, if the community protects orphans' rights, with every believer acting as a parent to the orphan, anguish turns into acceptance.  The child would accept life's terrible events with peace and submission.

Thus, Allah warns against the monstrous sin of consuming an orphan's wealth unjustly:

Those who consume the property of orphans unjustly are actually swallowing fire into their own bellies: they will burn in the blazing Flame.  (Chapter 4: Verse 10)

Food is the most prominent reason behind theft, embezzlement, or fraud.  It is the act we repeat two or three times, day in and day out.  Unlike clothing, which changes seasonally, eating is a daily requirement, making it the prime reason for many unjust actions.  One of the first things thieves do after a heist is improve the quality and quantity of their meals: better cuts of meat, fancy desserts, and so on.  We even say in everyday language about a greedy person or a known thief, "He is a whale with an insatiable appetite."

Allah explicitly warns those robbing an orphan's wealth: You are filling your stomachs with fire.   It could manifest as suffering in this world, where those who exploit orphans' wealth end up with diseases that burn from within.  A common adge says, "Whoever eats something from wrongful means will find him or herself facing rightful hunger." Let me explain.  If you eat from unlawful earnings, such as the wealth of an orphan, Allah will test you with illnesses that prevent you from enjoying lawful, wholesome foods.  You might see a person who possesses wealth and can afford anything in the world, yet doctors restrict them from consuming various foods, such as sweet deserts or red meat, because they pose a risk to their health.  The foods are on the table and inside the fridge, yet they cannot enjoy them rightfully.  Meanwhile, their children, servants, and guests take pleasure in such foods right before their hungry eyes.  We say: Allah has deprived you of the rightful enjoyment because you ate from wrongful actions.

But the absolute misery will be in the Hereafter, where the believers will recognize those who consumed an orphan's wealth by the smoke coming from their mouths.  Do not think the fire will only be in their bellies; they will also be immersed in a fierce Blaze for eternity.

Here we must ask, what are you to do if the head of your family is earning his or her money from unlawful sources such as robbing the wealth of an orphan?  A man or woman should know the source of the spouse's earnings.  If you recognize that you are eating from unlawful sources, it is your responsibility to stop it.  Remember your Lord and declare: "I will not eat or feed my children from this money because it is an unlawful haram!" If the person insists on engaging in unlawful work to support the family, the dependents should refuse to consume such foods.  Imagine what happens when a child refuses to eat from the earnings of a mother who, for instance, dances or sings or a father who embezzles from the orphan under their care.  It will be emotionally harsh for the breadwinner when the family stops eating.  For those who claim, "This is our livelihood, and we have no other source of income," I say: Allah, the Almighty, is the provider of sustenance.  He says,

And if you fear poverty, Allah will enrich you of His Grace if He wills (9:28)

And in another chapter,

And whoever is mindful of God, He will make for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect (65:2-3)

A troubling trend among those who knowingly earn their wealth unlawfully is to give to charities or build mosques to make up for their deed and cleanse their money.  We answer that God is pure and does not accept that which is not pure.  So do not try to mask your ugly deeds by giving to charity or making the Hajj pilgrimage.  God is in no need of your worship and donations.  He wants you to purify yourself first, protect the rights of others, and earn your money honestly.