35. Wills and Testimony
٣٥۔ كِتَابُ الْوَصَايَا
When Allah, Most High, revealed the verses: "Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it". And "Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans", everyone who had an orphan with him went and separated his food from his (orphan's) food, and his drink from his drink, and began to detain the remaining food which he (the orphan) himself ate or spoiled. This fell heavy on them, and they mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So Allah, Most High, revealed the verse: "They ask thee concerning orphans. Say: The best thing to do is what is for their good; if ye mix their affairs with yours, they are your brethren." Then they mixed their food with his food and their drink with his drink. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2871)
لَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ} [الأنعام 152] وَ {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا} [النساء 10] انْطَلَقَ مَنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ يَتِيمٌ فَعَزَلَ طَعَامَهُ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابَهِ مِنْ شَرَابِهِ فَجَعَلَ يَفْضُلُ الشَّيْءَ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابِهِ فَيَحْبِسُ حَتَّى يَأْكُلَهُ أَوْ يَفْسَدَ فَاشْتَدَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْيَتَامَى قُلْ إِصْلَاحٌ لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ وَإِنْ تُخَالِطُوهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ} [البقرة 220] فَخَلَطُوا طَعَامَهُمْ بِطَعَامِهِمْ وَشَرَابَهُمْ بِشَرَابِهِمْ