Losing one or both parents is traumatic for any child in any situation. Each year, millions of children are orphaned due to conflict, famine, and diseases. These children need to be looked after and provided for.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said “Myself and the caretaker of an orphan will be in Paradise like this,” and he held his two fingers together. (Al-Bukhari).

If your heart breaks for orphaned, abandoned, or abused children, you might be wondering, “What can I do to help?”

There are multiple ways for you to help here, but we have narrowed it down to the following top 6 ways you might want to consider.

1- Donate money

You can donate or respond to any appeal by a well-known Muslim organization.

Muslim NGOs Changing the Lives of Orphan Children

Or you can donate to Muslim charities that only work for orphans, such as:

Orphan In Need – UK

Orphan Care Project – US

The Muslim Foster Care Association – US

2- Sponsor a Child

Child sponsorship is one of the ultimate forms of charity. You can play your part in providing helpless children with food, clothing and education. You can choose to sponsor one child or all of his or her siblings depending on the yearly amount that you can afford to put in the Muslim orphan sponsorship.

The Prophet (PBUH) said“Whoever takes in an orphan among the Muslims to raise, feed and give him drink, Allah admits him into Paradise without a doubt, unless he has done a sin for which he is not forgiven.” (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi)

Prophet Muhammad was himself an orphan. By the time he was eight years old he had suffered through the death of both his parents and his beloved grandfather Abdul Muttalib. His uncle, Abu Talib, was his great supporter and sponsor.

How was the Prophet’s Childhood?

3- Educate yourself

Perhaps you need to research more about orphans, their needs and so on. This is a very good idea for in order to help orphans, you need to understand the full scope of the challenges they face.

There are millions of orphans around the world, and the majority of them live in substandard conditions, usually due more to lack of resources than lack of concern.

• 15 million orphans have lost both parents
• Children become orphans due to warfare, diseases, social instability, and lack of economic opportunity, among other factors.

To learn more about the global orphan crisis, consult the websites of charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that address issues relating to children and families.

4-Raise Awareness & Spread the word

As you become more fully aware of the problems facing orphans close to home and far away, tell your family, friends, co-workers, and others more about the issue and what they can do to help.

For instance, you might tell your kids that there are children all around the world without toys to play with, and encourage them to donate some of their toys to a yard sale that will benefit orphan charities.

“And do good to parents, relatives, orphans and the poor.” [Qur’an 2:83]

Use the power of social media to spread the word, for instance, by posting about – and linking to – news articles about the plight of orphans.

5- Volunteer Your Time

Whether you’re supporting orphans at home or abroad, it’s best to either establish long-term relationships with specific kids, or do more behind-the-scenes work that benefits them.

Always remember that you don’t need to travel halfway around the world to help orphans. There are plenty in your local community who can benefit from your time, talents, and compassion.  

6- Organize Fundraisers 

People are almost always eager to help children, and especially orphans, but may not feel like they are capable of really helping. Let them know that supporting worthwhile charities, even in the small amount you might collect from a bake sale, can help make a positive difference.

Remember, this world can become a beautiful place for every orphan if each of us plays our part.