Sarah Joseph

CEO & EDITOR OF MUSLIM MAGAZINE EMEL

"The Prophet (pbuh) himself was an orphan, his father dying before he was born and his mother dying when he was just six years old. This is perhaps why he had so much empathy with the orphan child saying, "he who cares for the orphan child will be like this with me on the Day of Judgement", and he held up two fingers close together.

His grandfather was his protector, but it could so easily have been that this was not the case. He could so easily have been cast out and alone, with no parent to care for him. This is after all, the fate of millions upon millions of children across the world. Such children rely on the charity of those of us who are blessed, by Allah's grace, to have stability and wealth. Yet, perhaps we feel we have given enough, that there are so many causes which are demanding our resources. It is at this point that we must remember two things.

Firstly, charity is an investment for the future. Allah has promised a 700% return on investment, where in the Qur'an He says, "The parable of those who spend their possessions for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase unto whom He wills; and God is infinite, all-knowing." (2:261) Secondly, we must remember that as the Prophet said, "wealth is not diminished by charity." Therefore whatever we give in this world, with the right intention, will not reduce our wealth in the slightest. When the Qur'an reminds us in multiple places to care for the orphan, it is a reminder of the importance of this form of charity.

So let us not be, as the Qur'an reminds us, the kind of man who "...gives the lie to all moral law? Behold, it is this [kind of man] that thrusts the orphan away." (107:1-2) Rather, let us be amongst those who, like the Prophet, loved the orphan child. And in so doing, let us be amongst those who are close to the orphaned Prophet on the Last Day."

Lena Khan

ACCLAIMED INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER

"For a living, I make films hoping to teach people about social issues in the hopes of moving them to make a difference. Orphans, however…well, orphans are one subject that does not need a big budget movie. One only needs to hear the word "orphan" to envision innocent, vulnerable children, left with nobody but people of conscience to protect and look after them. We don't need a movie for that. We just need a heart.

I have tried to live my life with the realization that whatever wealth, talent or blessings I have, it is only due to God's grace upon me. And if I were at all grateful to Him, I would use all of those to help the rest of His creation in need. That said, I hope we can all do the same by supporting Save An Orphan, and showing that we do have a breathing heart."

Nabil Ahmed

PRESIDENT, FEDERATION OF STUDENT ISLAMIC SOCIETIES (FOSIS)

From the depths and complexities of our increasingly busy daily-lives, there are timeless and common chords of harmony that unite humanity towards goodness. Saving the orphans of humanity is one. For a people whose beloved Prophet peace be upon him was an orphan, for a humanity who must strive for the betterment of our world and its people, let this be our cause. My life was changed by orphans - and ultimately it is we that need saving. I ask us all to support 'Save An Orphan', a charity close to the heart of humanity, with strategic focus and pragmatic initiatives to relieve, but also educate, empower and cultivate sustainability.