The Quran

220

Preface

فِي الدُّنيا وَالآخِرَةِ ۗ وَيَسأَلونَكَ عَنِ اليَتامىٰ ۖ قُل إِصلاحٌ لَهُم خَيرٌ ۖ وَإِن تُخالِطوهُم فَإِخوانُكُم ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعلَمُ المُفسِدَ مِنَ المُصلِحِ ۚ وَلَو شاءَ اللَّهُ لَأَعنَتَكُم ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزيزٌ حَكيمٌ

Yusuf Ali

(Their bearings) on this life and the Hereafter¹. They ask thee concerning orphans². Say: “The best thing to do is what is for their good; if ye mix their affairs with yours, they are your brethren; but God knows the man who means mischief from the man who means good. And if God had wished, He could have put you into difficulties: He is indeed Exalted in Power, Wise³.”

Gambling and intemperance are social as well as individual sins. They may ruin us in our ordinary everyday worldly life, as well as our spiritual future. In case it is suggested that there is no harm in a little indulgence, we are asked to think over all its aspects, social and individual - worldly and spiritual.
For Orphans the best rule is to keep their property, household, and accounts separate, lest there should be any temptation to get a personal advantage to their guardian by mixing them with the guardian’s property, household or accounts-also to keep clear of any ideas of marriage, where this fiduciary relation exists. Q. 6:152 may possibly suggest complete separation. But it may be an economy and an advantage to the orphan to have his property and accounts administered with the guardian’s property and accounts and to have him live in the guardian’s household, or to marry into the guardian’s family, especially where the orphan’s property is small and he or she has no other friend. The test is: what is best in the orphan’s interests? If the guardian does fall into temptation, even if human law does not detect him, he is told he is sinning in God’s
The idea in Islam is not to make God’s Law a burdensome fetter, but to ease a man’s path in all kinds of difficult situations by putting him on his honour and trusting him. The strictest probity is demanded of him, but if he falls short of it, he is told that he cannot escape God’s punishment even though he may evade human punishment.