Overview (Verses 9 - 10)

Protecting the Weak and Vulnerable
 
Before defining the respective shares of inheritance which are due, the sūrah gives another warning against absorbing orphans’ property. The way the warning is delivered cannot fail to have a strong effect on people’s hearts. It does this by stimulating feelings of love, of compassion for one’s own children, of parental fear for them when they are young and weak, and similarly of fear of God who watches over all our actions. It also arouses fear for one’s safety in the life to come. The fear of burning in the fire is portrayed here in a very vivid and powerful scene: “Let those who, if they themselves had to leave behind weak offspring, would feel fear on their account, be afraid (to wrong the orphans in their charge), let them fear God and speak in a just manner. Those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, only swallow fire into their bellies. They will be made to endure a blazing fire.” (Verses 9-10)
 
The first verse touches on parental heartstrings, describing typical parental fear for what may happen to their offspring. They are made to imagine their children, weak, defenceless, left alone with no one to protect or have mercy on them. If they think of their own children in this position, they are bound to sympathise with orphans in their own charge. They cannot know whether their own children would be placed in the care of others, in the same way as they are in charge of orphans. It is further impressed on them that they should fear God in their dealings with those in their charge. This so that God will provide their own children with people who fear Him in the way they deal with such orphans and that they be compassionate and take good care of them. They are also told to speak justly to orphans.
 
Verse 10 portrays a fearful scene with people swallowing fire into their bellies, and suffering the torment of Hell in the life to come. Property that belongs to orphans is fire, and guardians devour that fire in the same way as they eat their food. Their ultimate abode is also a blazing fire. It is a blazing fire both inside and out. The way the scene is portrayed shows the fire to be very real, as if its heat is being felt and as if it is seen to burn bellies and skins.
 
Such Qur’ānic statements are especially effective. They impart their powerful message to Muslims as also eradicate all traces of ignorance from their hearts. They replace such elements with a caution and fear of God. Thus, people are apprehensive lest they misplace any part of an orphan’s wealth. They look at this wealth as though it is the fire that God describes in such very powerful verses. Hence they do not want to touch an orphan’s property in any way. Such indeed was the attitude of the Prophet’s Companions when they heard these verses.
 
It is authentically reported, on the authority of Ibn `Abbās, that when the verse which begins with “those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, only swallow fire into their bellies” was revealed, each one of the Prophet’s Companions who had an orphan in his charge separated the property of that orphan from his own. They even separated their food and drink. If any part of an orphan’s food was left over, it was kept for him until he ate it or it became unsuitable to eat. This inevitably caused great difficulties. When these difficulties were pointed out to the Prophet, God revealed the verse that states: “They ask you about orphans. Say: to improve their conditions is best. If you mix their affairs with yours, remember they are your brothers [in Islam]. God knows him who spoils things and him who improves. Had God so willed, He would indeed have overburdened you. Indeed, God is indeed Almighty, Wise.” (2: 220) After this verse was revealed, they mixed their food and drink together.
 
In this way, the Qur’ān elevates people’s consciences to a sublime horizon, purifying them in the process of all traces of ignorance and its practices.