30/11. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3670 — Permissible Sharing With Orphans Under Your Care
What The Guardian Is Entitled To Of An Orphan's Property If He Takes Care Of It
Mixing Food With Orphans: Honest Shared Living Without Misuse
Sunan an-Nasai : 3670
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3670
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَطَاءُ بْنُ السَّائِبِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، فِي قَوْلِهِ {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى ظُلْمًا} قَالَ كَانَ يَكُونُ فِي حِجْرِ الرَّجُلِ الْيَتِيمَ فَيَعْزِلُ لَهُ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ وَآنِيَتَهُ فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ {وَإِنْ تُخَالِطُوهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ} {فِي الدِّينِ} فَأَحَلَّ لَهُمْ خُلْطَتَهُمْ.
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said -concerning the Verse: "Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans" -A man would have an orphan in his care, and he would keep his food, drink and vessels separate. This caused hardship to the Muslims, so Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: "And they ask you concerning orphans. Say: The best thing is to work honestly in their property, and if you mix your affairs with theirs, then they are your brothers" (in religion), so it is permissible for you to mix with them.
[4] An-Nisâ' 4:10.[1] Al-Baqarah 2:220.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3670In-book reference : Book 30, Hadith 60English translation : Vol. 4, Book 30, Hadith 3700
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3670
This narration explains mixing food with orphans after a period of great caution. Ibn 'Abbas said that a man caring for an orphan would keep the orphan's food, drink, and vessels separate. This practice became hard for the Muslims. The quoted revelation then stated that if they mixed their affairs with the orphans, they were their brothers in religion, and the narration says that such mixing was permitted. The hadith does not remove the warning against unjustly consuming orphan property. Instead, it distinguishes ordinary shared living from wrongful use. Its focus is the hardship caused by strict separation and the permission that followed. Anyone searching for Islamic guidance on sharing meals with an orphan should notice that the text speaks of brotherhood and practical mixing, not ownership of the orphan's wealth.
What we learn from this hadith
- Strict separation of an orphan's food, drink, and vessels caused hardship.
- The narration allowed shared arrangements with orphans as brothers in religion.
- Permission to mix affairs does not turn the orphan's property into the guardian's property.
