Father of the Orphans: Lesson5, Leaving the care of the orphaned in your legacy
Imam Ali instructed those around him to care for the orphaned during his lifetime as well as when approaching his death. During Imam Ali’s period of caliphate, he appointed Malik al-Ashtar as the governor of Egypt. His written instructions to Malik al-Ashtar included a call to take upon himself the upkeep of the orphans. Before his death, he instructed the care of orphaned children in his will. He wrote to his eldest son, Imam al-Hasan: “I remind you By God, By God, about the Orphans. Be consistent in attending to their nutrition, and do not forget their interests in the middle of yours.’’ For I heard the Prophet himself say “Whoever supported an orphan until independence is guaranteed heaven”.
We can learn from Imam Ali to leave the care of orphaned children in the legacy we leave behind in this life. Whether it is through including them in our will too, through passing on this sense of responsibility to the next generation.
Through ensuring we care for orphaned children during our lifetime as well, we can strive to respond to the call that our beloved Imam Ali left for us.
