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Does a young man who marries a widow with orphans and raises her children fall under the description of the Prophet's (PBUH) saying: "I and the one who sponsors an orphan are like these two in Paradise"? Will he be with him in the Highest Paradise forever, or only for a visit and a sighting? Does marrying a divorced woman with young children fall under the حديث (hadith)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The guardian of an orphan gains the virtue of their guardianship, whether the orphan is a relative or a stranger. They are included in the reward mentioned in the noble Hadith: "I and the guardian of an orphan will be in Paradise like these two," (and he gestured with his index and middle fingers). This does not mean an exact equality in status and rank with the Prophet, peace be upon him, but rather a closeness in status and rank, such that the guardian of the orphan will be in the rank immediately following that of the Prophet, peace be upon him, without any separation. This indicates their proximity and companionship, not their equality in rank. This is further supported by the Hadith of Sahl ibn Sa'd, in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, separated his index and middle fingers slightly, indicating closeness in status, not identity. A woman who becomes a widow and dedicates herself to her orphaned children holds a high status, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, indicated her precedence in entering Paradise.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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