majestic and exalted. He likewise points with this finger during the tashahhud whenever he supplicates, saying: “Peace be upon you, O Prophet,” “Peace be upon us,” “O Allah, bless Muhammad,” “O Allah, send Your grace upon Muhammad.” In every supplicatory sentence he raises it, indicating thereby Allah’s loftiness and His oneness.

The phrase “and he spread them apart” means that after bringing the index and middle fingers together the Prophet ﷺ then parted them, to show that the guardian of an orphan will be alongside the Prophet in Paradise, very near to him. The report therefore urges Muslims to sponsor orphans. Sponsorship means attending to whatever benefits the orphan in both his religion and his worldly life: religiously, by nurturing, guiding, educating, and the like; and worldly, by providing food, drink, and shelter.

A child is deemed an orphan only until reaching puberty. Once the boy or girl attains puberty the state of orphanhood ends. Furthermore, orphanhood applies only when the father has died; if the mother alone passes away while the father is alive, the child is not considered an orphan.

The following hadith likewise mentions the reward awaiting those who take charge of an orphan’s affairs and put his situation right.

As for the third hadith, the Messenger ﷺ says: “The destitute person is not the one who can be turned away with a date or two, or a mouthful or two. Rather, the destitute person is the one who maintains his self-respect.” In other words, the truly needy is not the beggar who goes around asking people and is satisfied if you hand him a mouthful or two of food, or a date or two. The real destitute person is the one who keeps himself from begging, as Allah the Exalted says: “The ignorant consider them rich because of their self-restraint” (Quran 2:273). Such a person neither asks so that he may be given, nor does anyone notice his need so as to give to him. As common folk say: “He keeps himself above asking and is content…"