كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ ٱلْيَتِيمَ 17
Translations
No! But you do not honor the orphan
Transliteration
Kallā bal lā tukrimūn al-yatīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rejects the claim of those who deny the Day of Judgment, asserting that despite their worldly prosperity, they do not honor and care for orphans. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse condemns the pre-Islamic Arab practice of neglecting orphans' rights and mistreating them, using this moral failure as evidence of their spiritual corruption and denial of divine justice. The ayah emphasizes that true faith and moral character are demonstrated through compassionate treatment of the vulnerable, particularly orphans.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Fajr is a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam, addressing those who denied the resurrection and divine accountability. This ayah appears within a passage (verses 15-20) that contrasts the fate of those who deny the Hereafter with their treatment of the orphans and poor, highlighting how their denial of God's justice correlates with their social injustice and moral depravity.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best house among the Muslims is the house in which orphans are treated well, and the worst house is the one in which orphans are mistreated.' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'I and the one who takes care of an orphan will be together in Paradise like these two fingers' (Sahih Bukhari).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that genuine faith in God and belief in the Day of Judgment must manifest through ethical treatment of society's most vulnerable members, particularly orphans. For modern believers, it serves as a reminder that spiritual conviction is hollow without corresponding social responsibility and compassion for those in need.