Al-Isra · Makki · ayah 34 of 111

Al-Isra 17:34

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ ۚ وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِٱلْعَهْدِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْـُٔولًا

“And do not approach the property of an orphan, except in the way that is best,[744] until he reaches maturity. And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Touch an orphan's wealth only to improve it until the child can hold it, and keep every promise: each one will be asked about.

A reflection

One door, and only one way through it

On a hospital ward there is a small locked cupboard for the strongest medicines. It has its own register. It may only be opened by two nurses together, for one named patient, at the dose written down. The door is real, and it does open. But it only ever opens for the patient's good.

Read this ayah straight after the one before last, and the same verb appears twice. Lā taqrabū al-zinā: do not go near unlawful intimacy (17:32). Lā taqrabū māla al-yatīm: do not go near the orphan's wealth. Two things where the temptation is private and nobody is checking. Both are fenced at a distance.

But notice the difference. The first has no exception at all. The second has one narrow door: illā bi-llatī hiya aḥsan, except in the way that is best. One classical commentary explains that the ban on approaching is there for emphasis, and to make room for that exception. You may go near this money. You must go near it, if you are the guardian. But only through one door, and only to do it good.

What counts as 'best'? The commentaries agree: guarding it, managing it well and growing it for the child. One narration-based commentary adds care and caution. Notice the word itself is a superlative. Not 'in a good way', not 'acceptably', but in the way that is aḥsan, most beautiful. The Arabs named the two halves of the forearm by this root. The half by the wrist was 'the beautiful', the half by the elbow 'the ugly'. The ayah asks for the wrist end, every time.

Someone may ask why this needs saying at all. Surely nobody needs telling not to rob orphans. One classical commentary answers. The orphan is small, weak and unable to defend himself, so any loss falls on him hardest. And he cannot audit anyone. That is exactly why the temptation is real. The easiest theft is from the person who cannot check.

If you hold anything for someone who cannot check on you, a child's savings, a parent's pension, a team's budget, treat it like that cupboard. Two keys, one register, and only for their good.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.