This phrase translates to “that’s the one who pushes the orphan”.
Understanding the Significance of “Fa”:
The Fa here is important. With just the “Fa” here Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is saying, if you wondered about who the person is that after all the evidence considered this religion a lie, then let me tell you what kind of person this is. In other words, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala) is saying, let me tell you what kind of person, is an enemy of religion.
Ways of Pushing Away an Orphan:
Pushing away an orphan can happen in two ways.
The first is when the orphan comes to us (like asking for money), and we turn them away.
The second is when the orphan is just sitting quietly, and we mistreat or abuse them anyway.
In this ayat, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) doesn’t specify which type of orphan is being referred to, so it applies to both situations.
Abu Lahab and his government had created a corrupt financial system where the orphan is just pushed further and further away.
The Quran’s Fearless Commentary
These ayats are powerful because they don’t just apply to Abu Lahab and the people of that time, but to all societies, even today. In many countries, there are departments and treasuries with budgets specifically for helping the poor, yet the poor often remain neglected. This is Quran’s fearless commentary on the corruption whose ultimate victim is poor people. Among the poor people Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) highlighted one group of people – the orphans. This is because there is no one more helpless than the orphans. He has no parents, no family, no friends and no backing of any kind.
Fighting for the Forsaken – The Quran’s Challenge
For Muslims, especially in the West, as challenging as things are, they are nothing compared to what other people are going through. While we may feel overwhelmed, we need to realize that the ummah has gone through a lot. We should be grateful for the opportunities we have been given. We are in a much better position to stand up for the orphans. In other words, we need to stand up for everyone whom no one stands up for. People that have been ruined by oppressive economic policies, people that have underserved, people that have been forgotten by society (even those who are not Muslims). We are always busy advocating for ourselves. The reason that Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and his companions were able to conquer Makkah was not because they were fighting for themselves. For example, they were not fighting for rights to pray at Kaaba with the government of Makkah (Abu Lahab and the elite people of Makkah). There are no ayat in the Quran saying don’t torture the believers, they have rights etc. The ayat are about why are you burying the baby girl, why are you pushing the orphan etc. Also, note that the ayat doesn’t specify the religion of the orphan. So, we have to be people that advocate for the society around us if we are to live by the teachings of this book.
The First Crime – Pushing the Orphan:
The first crime that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentioned here isn’t that he doesn’t pray or even denies Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) etc. The first crime mentioned is that he pushes the orphan.
Pushing someone away is like taking the dignity of that person away. This notion of taking dignity away of a human being is highly offensive to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).
The Believer’s Dignity – More Sacred Than the Kaaba:
When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would do tawaf around the Kaaba, he would look at the Kaaba sometimes and express how much he loved the Kaaba. He had a loving relationship with the Kaaba. He would say to the Kaaba that the dignity of a believer is dearer to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) than you.
The Prophet’s Compassion for All Creatures:
Our Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was Rahmat-ul-lil-‘aalameen. Yet when he saw a smack on the donkey’s face, he cursed the person who did it to the animal. That’s for the dignity of the animal. Imagine what will be the consequences for the one who does this to humans.
Hadith from Sahih Muslim
Ibn ‘Abbas (radi allahu anhu) said: An ass with a brand on the face happened to pass before the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Thereupon he said, “May Allah curse the one who has branded it (on the face).”
Honoring Orphans – Following the Sunnah of the Prophet
If we have no other reason to dignify an orphan, then the fact that our Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was an orphan should itself be enough. In an orphan, there is a droplet of the sunnah of our Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). That itself should be enough to soften our hearts.
Hadith from Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
Narrated Sahl bin Sa’d As-Sa’idi (radi allahu anhu): Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like this in Paradise,” showing his middle and index fingers and separating them.
Meaning of Ayat #2
Let me tell you what kind of person is an enemy of religion: That’s the one who pushes the orphan away and mistreats him/her.