Father of the Orphans: Lesson2, Providing orphaned children with the best
A number of traditions available to us describe how Imam Ali ensured orphaned children were taken care of, particularly during the period of his caliphate. These include narrations of Imam Ali visiting their homes under the cover of evenings to feed and cater to their needs. One such narration tells us of a time when honey and figs were brought to Imam Ali from Hamadan and Hulwan, a delicacy presented to him as the Caliph of the time.
Imam Ali’s first response was to order the authorities of all tribes to bring along the orphans of the city. The narration tells us that “he seated them above the leather containers of honey to eat from it”. When questioned, he responded “I am the father to the orphans. Indeed I had them eat honey as their father.”
Imam Ali’s insistence on prioritising the orphaned children when offered a delicacy teaches us all to present the very best we have to them. Imam Ali did not wait until his close family and friends had their turn before providing the children with leftovers, nor did he consider the delicacies a ‘non-essential’ that the orphaned children did not need. The lesson here extends beyond subsistence and clothing to include all aspects in life: if you think your children deserve the best-in-class education and access to opportunities, so do orphaned children.
