Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr (d. 774 AH) said: “Allah forbids allowing the feeble-minded to dispose of the wealth that He has appointed for people as a means of subsistence—that is, by which their livelihoods are maintained through trade and the like. From this verse the ruling of placing the feeble-minded under interdiction (ḥajr) is derived.” End quote.

Just as Allah has prohibited giving such minors unrestricted control over their assets, placing those assets instead under the charge of competent and upright guardians, He likewise cautions those guardians not to deal with the property except in ways that protect it and make it grow. The Almighty says: “Do not approach the orphan’s property except in the manner that is best, until he reaches maturity” (Q 17:34)—meaning: do not handle the orphan’s wealth except in a way that secures advantage and benefit for him.

Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68 AH) related: “When Allah revealed the verse, ‘Do not approach the orphan’s property except in the manner that is best’ and the verse, ‘Indeed, those who consume the property of orphans unjustly are only filling their bellies with fire, and they will burn in a blazing blaze’ (Q 4:10), everyone who was caring for an orphan separated the orphan’s food from his own and the orphan’s drink from his own. Whenever something was left over, he would keep it for the orphan until the child could eat it, or it spoiled. This became onerous for them, so they mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whereupon Allah revealed: ‘They ask you about orphans. Say, “Working for their betterment is best; and if you mix with them, they are your brothers”’ (Q 2:220).” Ibn ʿAbbās continued, “After that they once again mixed the orphans’ food with their own and their drink with their own.”

Among the recommended ways of benefitting an orphan’s wealth is to employ it in commerce in search of profit and growth. The guardian may therefore trade with the funds himself or entrust them to another on a profit-sharing (muḍāraba) basis, because ʿĀʾishah