Loving Children

Imam Ali (a.s.) was very kind to children, especially to orphans. If he ever saw an orphan crying, he would stop whatever he was doing, bend down, give the child his salam. wipe away the child's tears, put his hand on the child's shoulder and say, "My child, why are you crying? Has someone hurt you? Come, let me take you to my house." Ali (a.s.) would take the child home and treat him better than any father. He would bring the child sweets and cakes and honey, and put them in the child's mouth himself.

Imam Ali used to tell his followers to love and be kind to orphans, especially the orphans of martyrs killed in the path of Allah. "They have lost their loving fathers," he used to say. "So cheer them up and look after them just like a father.

"Their fathers were martyred in jihad and for the sake of Islam, and they have rights on you. Make their souls pleased with you by cheering up their children and looking after them." Imam Ali was always attentive to orphans especially to those of the martyrs. He used to visit them and sit and chat and play with them. He used to take care of their education and training. He would strive to solve their difficulties and always offered them guidance and advice. He would bring them gifts and, if they were poor, he would respectfully provide their expenses.

Imam Ali (a.s.) was so kind to orphans and laid so much stress on them in his teachings that one of his companions said: "How I wish that I too was a young orphan so that I would receive kindness and love from Imam Ali (a.s.)

* Love and be kind to children, especially orphans. *
 

^{The Children's Book On Islam. By: AYATULLAH IBRAHIM AMINI. BOOK ONE, P. 44 - 46}