If he stops spending on an orphan for some legitimate reason, will his reward also be stopped?

Question: 128560

A doer of good sponsored orphans in a country outside Saudi Arabia, motivated by the hadeeth of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) concerning that. Usually the period of sponsorship lasted for one year, then after that it was essential to renew the sponsorship so that the money paid would not stop reaching the orphan. But after the year passed, he did not have enough money to renew the sponsorship and by Allaah it grieved him to lose the connection with this orphan in that way and to be deprived of the reward. Is there any sin on him or will his reward decrease in any way?.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

We ask Allaah to reward you with good and help you to
remember Him and be grateful to Him and to worship Him well.

Sponsoring orphans is very important in Islam. The Messenger
of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: “I and the one
who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise,” and he gestured with
his forefinger and middle finger. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6005) and Muslims
(2983).

Ibn Battaal said:

It is the duty of every believer who hears this hadeeth to
strive to follow it, so that he will be in Paradise with the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) and the company of Prophets and
Messengers (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon them all), for there is no
status in the Hereafter that is better before Allaah then the company of the
Prophets. End quote.

Sharh Ibn Battaal (17/260)

The one who sponsors an orphan is the one who brings him up
and takes care of his affairs with regard to maintenance, clothing,
discipline, education and so on. It is not only the one who spends on him;
rather spending on him is just part of sponsoring him, it is just one aspect
thereof.

Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath: Sponsoring an orphan means
looking after his affairs and taking care of his interests.

Ibn ‘Allaan said:

That means maintenance, clothing, education, discipline and
so on. It says in Sharh Muslim: This virtue is attained by the one
who sponsors the orphan from his own wealth or from the orphan’s wealth,
acting as a legitimate guardian. End quote.

Daleel al-Faaliheen (2/366)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

Sponsoring an orphan means taking care of his religious and
worldly affairs, giving him an upbringing, guidance, education and so on
that he grows up following the teachings of Islam and taking care of his
worldly affairs by giving him food, drink and accommodation. End
quote.

Sharh Riyadh al-Saaliheen, p.
311

If a person is spending on an orphan then something happens
to prevent him spending on him, but he was determined to continue spending
on him if this thing had not happened, then there is the hope that he will
still attain the reward of charity, for the bounty of Allaah is vast.

Al-Bukhaari (4423) and Muslim (1911) narrated from Anas ibn
Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allaah be upon him) returned from the campaign of Tabook and drew
close to Madeenah. He said: “In Madeenah there are men and you have not
covered any distance or crossed any valley but they were with you.” They
said: O Messenger of Allaah, even though they were in Madeenah? He said:
“They were in Madeenah, but they were held back by sickness.”

Al-Nawawi said:

This hadeeth points to the virtue of intending to do good,
and indicates that if a person intends to go out on jihad or do some other
act of worship, then something happens to him that prevents him from doing
it, he will attain the reward of his intention. End quote.

Al-Haafiz said:

What is meant by the excuse is that which is more general in
meaning them sickness and inability to travel. End quote.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

This and similar reports indicate that if a person has a
valid excuse, there will be decreed for him a reward like that of the one
who is healthy, if it was his intention to do it and he did as much as he
was able to. End quote.

Iqaamat al-Daleel ‘ala Ibtaal al-Tahleel,
2/437

He also said:

If a person intends to do good and does as much as he can of
it but is unable to complete it, he will have the reward of the one who does
it. End quote.

Iqaamat al-Daleel ‘ala Ibtaal al-Tahleel,
5/463.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

The basic principle of sharee’ah is that if complete resolve
is accompanied by whatever a person can do of action or first steps towards
action, then that person will have reward equal to that of one who does the
complete action. End quote.

Tareeq al-Hijratayn, p. 532

We ask Allaah to bless you and your wealth and to accept
(your good deeds) from you.

And Allaah knows best.

Source:

Islam Q&A

Was this answer helpful?