কোরআন ও হাদিসের আলোকে এতিম প্রতিপালন

মুহাম্মদ ওসমান গনি
সম্পাদনা : ইকবাল হোছাইন মাছুম

এতিম কে?
এতিম শব্দটি আরবি, যার অর্থ নি:সঙ্গ। একটি ঝিনুকের মধ্যে যদি একটি মাত্র মুক্তা জন্ম নেয় তখন একে দুররে এতিম বা নি:সঙ্গ মুক্তা বলা হয়। ইবনু মন্জুর লিসানুল আরব অভিধানে বর্ণনা করেছেন।

اليتيم: الذي يموت أبوه حتى يبلغ الحلم، فإذا بلغ زال عنه اسم اليتيم، واليتيمة ما لم تتزوج، فإذا تزوجت زال عنها اسم اليتيمة.

অর্থ: এতিম এমন বাচ্চাকে বলা হয় যার পিতা মারা গিয়েছে, বালেগ হওয়া অবধি সে এতিম হিসাবে গণ্য হবে, বালেগ হবার পর এতিম নামটি তার থেকে বিচ্ছিন্ন হয়ে যাবে। আর মেয়ে বাচ্চা বিয়ের পূর্ব পর্যন্ত এতিম বলে গণ্য হবে বিয়ের পর তাকে আর এতিম বলা হবে না।
মহানবী সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়াসাল্লাম বলেছেন: বালেগ হওয়ার পর আর কেউ এতিম থাকে না। মেশকাত: পৃষ্ঠা নং ২৮৪
লিসানুল আরবে আরো বর্ণিত আছে যে, মানুষের মাঝে এতিম হয় পিতার পক্ষ থেকে আর চতুষ্পদ জন্তুর মধ্যে এতিম হয় মায়ের পক্ষ থেকে।

যে সন্তানের বাল্যকালে তার মাতা মারা যায়, কিন্তু পিতা বেঁচে থাকে তাকে এতিম বলা হবে না।

এতিম প্রতিপালনের ফজিলত:

আল্লাহ তাআলার প্রিয় হাবিব, আমাদের নবী মুহাম্মদ সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়া সাল্লাম মাতৃগর্ভে থাকা অবস্থায় তাঁর পিতা আব্দুল্লাহ ইন্তেকাল করেন এবং ছয় বছর বয়সে মা আমিনাকেও হারান। তারপর তার লালন পালনের দায়িত্ব নিলেন দাদা আব্দুল মুত্তালিব। কিন্তু তিনিও মাত্র দুই বছর পর এ পৃথিবী থেকে বিদায় নিলেন। সে হিসাবে তিনি ছিলেন সর্বদিক দিয়েই এতিম।

তাই আল্লাহ তাআলা বলেন: أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآَوَى ﴿6﴾ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى ﴿7﴾ وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى ﴿8﴾فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ﴿9﴾ )الضحى:6-9)

এতিমের হক প্রতিষ্ঠায় ইসলাম

মুফতি আইনুল ইসলাম কান্ধলবী

এ কথা বিশেষভাবে উল্লেখযোগ্য যে আল্লাহ পাক এতিমদের হক আদায়ের ব্যাপারে বিশেষ তাগিদ করেছেন। কেননা প্রাক-ইসলামিক যুগে এতিমদের প্রতি জুলুম করা হতো অনেক বেশি। প্রাক-ইসলামিক যুগে বর্বরতার শিকার হতো অসহায় নারী, অনাথ এতিম, মিসকিন এবং কন্যাসন্তান। নারীদের কোনো অধিকার ছিল না সমাজে। এতিমদের ধনসম্পদ তাদের অভিভাবকরা আত্মসাৎ করে ফেলত এবং কন্যাসন্তানদের বর্বর পৌত্তলিকরা জীবন্ত কবরস্থ করত।

প্রিয়নবী (সা.)-এর আবির্ভাবের মাধ্যমে আল্লাহপাক সমাজের এই দুস্থ, বিপদগ্রস্ত মানুষদের বর্ণনাতীত দুঃখ-কষ্ট দূরীভূত করার নির্দেশ দিলেন। ফলে মরণাপন্ন মানবতা পুনর্জীবন লাভ করল। সভ্যতার ক্রমবিকাশ শুরু হলো।

Blessings of Orphan

The orphan brings many spiritual, material and emotional blessings (baraka) to whoever cares for them. The story of Halima, a wet-nurse from the clan of Sa’d, illustrates this perfectly.
It was an Arab custom to place new-born babies in the care of a wet-nurse from a desert tribe. The idea was that the child would grow up in the natural environment of the desert, learning the ways of the Arabs and the purest form of Arabic before settling in the city with its parents. Halima was from one such Bedouin clan, and it became her destiny that she was to care for the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). 

The Story of Halima Sa’diyyah
In the year in which Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) was born, the Bedouin clan of Sa’d arrived in Makkah. Among their women was Halima, who was accompanied by her husband and baby son. They had always suffered great poverty, but this year had been particularly difficult because of famine. The donkey that carried her to Makkah was so weak from hunger that it often stumbled. Halima's baby cried all the time because she could not feed him properly, and their old she-camel failed to produce milk.
All the women of the clan of Sa’d found a child to take back with them, but not Halima. There was one baby left in Makkah, the orphaned Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). As it was customary for the baby’s father to pay the wet-nurses, none of the women would take the orphan. Halimah said to her husband, “I don’t like that I should be the only woman of our clan to return without a baby, I want to take that orphan”. Her husband agreed, adding, “Perhaps it will be that Allah will bless us because of him.” She said, "When I went to get him he was wearing a woolen dress, whiter than milk. A fragrance of musk spread from him. He lay on his back in sleep, underneath him a piece of green silk. I did not like to wake him because of his beauty and grace, but I came close to him and put my hand on his chest. He smiled and opened his eyes. I kissed him between his eyes and put him to my right breast which gave him all the milk he wanted. Then I placed him on the left, but he refused. That was the way he always was. After he was satisfied, I gave my son his fill. As soon as I brought him to my camp, both my breasts began pouring milk. By Allah's grace, Muhammad drank until he was satisfied (Allah bless him and give him peace), as did his brother. My husband went to our old camel for milk, and lo, it was full. He milked enough for both of us to drink our fill and we had a wonderful night. Later my husband said, “Oh Halima, it looks like you have picked a blessed soul. We spent the first night in blessings and bounties, and Allah continues to give us more and more ever since we chose him.” (Allah bless him and give him peace).

Famous Orphans

Imam al-Shafi'i (d. 204 AH) - He was orphaned at two years of age, but went on to become one of the four great imams and founded the Shafi’i school of Islamic law. He was a pioneer of Islamic scholarship and laid down the principles of Islamic law. He was known for his piety and command of the Arabic language.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d.240 AH) - He was orphaned in infancy and brought up by his mother. He was one of the four great imams and founder of the Hanbali school of Islamic law.
Imam al-Awza’i (d.158 AH) - An orphan who became a brilliant scholar whose fame spread throughout the Islamic world. He was also noted for his bravery and his willingness to risk his life speaking out against the injustices of the rulers.
Imam al-Bukhari (d.265 AH) - Born in Bukhara, in present day Uzbekistan, his father died in his infancy, but he became one of the greatest collectors of Hadith in history. He was renowned for his photographic memory, sharp intellect, and generosity.
Al-Hafiz Jalal al-Din Suyuti (d. 911 AH) - He was brought up as an orphan in Cairo and went on to become one of the greatest scholars of Islam. His works include one of the most widely read commentaries of the Qur’an.
Rabia al-Adawiyya (d.184 AH) - She was orphaned at an early age, but became well known for her intense spirituality. She was a poet and devoted herself to Allah. She also taught many of the major religious figures of her time. All she owned was a reed mat, a screen, a pottery jug, and a bed of felt which doubled up as her prayer-rug on which she prayed all night.

Islam: Religion of the Orphan

"Treat not the orphan with harshness" (Qur’an 93:9)

Orphan welfare is a recurring theme in the Qur’an. Verses encouraging good treatment of orphans are found throughout it. Creating a sense of responsibility towards orphans, the Qur’an says:

"They ask you, (O Muhammad), what they shall spend. Say: that which you spend for good (must go) to parents and near kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. And whatsoever good you do, lo! Allah is Aware of it." (Qur’an 2:215)

Orphans have a unique place in Islam and share an affinity with Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) who lost both his parents by the age of six. His orphaned childhood is the subject of some of the earliest verses of the Qur’an:

"Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?" (Qur’an 93:6)

This affinity between the orphan and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is expressed with great clarity in the sacred tradition (hadith) There is a promise of Paradise for anyone who looks after an orphan:

"I, and the one who looks after an orphan, will be together like this in the next world", then he raised his index and middle fingers together. (Hadith Muslim)

The important lesson Muslims have taken from this well-known hadith is that to choose the companionship of an orphan is to choose the companionship of the Prophet himself (Allah bless him and give him peace).