The Prophet Muhammad ﭐ promised the Companion of an orphan a place beside him in Paradise. Few hadith are as direct or as moving. Sponsoring an orphan is one of the most powerful Sadaqah Jariyah a Muslim can give — reward that lasts a lifetime in the life of the child, and a lifetime in the record of the giver.
“I and the one who looks after an orphan will be in Paradise like this”
— Prophet Muhammad ﭐ (Bukhari (and he held up his index and middle fingers together))
Why orphans hold a special place in Islam
The Qur’an mentions orphans more than twenty times. The Prophet ﭐ himself was orphaned: his father died before his birth, his mother passed when he was six, and his grandfather when he was eight. He was raised first by his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, then by his uncle Abu Talib. The compassion for orphans woven through the Qur’an comes from a Prophet who was, himself, an orphan.
“So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].”
— Qur’an 93:9
“Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? For that is the one who drives away the orphan, and does not encourage the feeding of the poor.”
— Qur’an 107:1-3
What does ‘sponsoring an orphan’ mean in practice?
Orphan sponsorship covers the cost of raising a child without parents — or without a father, which in many regions is functionally equivalent. A typical sponsorship covers:
- Monthly food parcels for the orphan and their guardian (usually their mother or a relative)
- School fees, uniforms, books, and shoes
- Medical care for routine and emergency needs
- Eid gifts and new clothes — small joys that change a childhood
- Vocational training as the child grows
You receive regular updates on the child you sponsor — photographs, school reports, drawings, and letters where appropriate.
The reward of sponsoring an orphan
Beyond the Companion-in-Paradise hadith, the Sunnah is rich with promise for those who care for orphans:
“The best house among the Muslims is one in which an orphan is well treated; and the worst house among the Muslims is one in which an orphan is ill treated.”
— Prophet Muhammad ﭐ (Ibn Majah)
“Whoever cares for an orphan among the Muslims, feeding him and giving him drink, Allah will admit him into Paradise, unless he has done a sin that cannot be forgiven.”
— Prophet Muhammad ﭐ (Tirmidhi (graded hasan))
The numbers in the UK and abroad
Roughly 153 million children worldwide have lost at least one parent. Most live in countries with no welfare safety net, no NHS equivalent, and no compulsory schooling enforcement. Without sponsorship, a single death in the family can mean an entire household tipped into long-term poverty.
The good news is the cost in UK terms is modest. A full annual sponsorship that covers food, school, healthcare and clothing typically costs £420-£600 per year — the price of a few coffees a week.
How DHT manages orphan sponsorship
DHT works with vetted local partners in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kashmir. We do not run residential institutions — the evidence is clear that children fare best in family settings. Our sponsorships keep orphans with their surviving parent, grandparent, or extended family, and pay the family directly to cover the child’s costs.
Every sponsored child has:
- A named DHT case file
- An annual photograph and school report
- A registered guardian who receives the monthly support
- A safeguarding review
Sponsor an orphan — today
From £35 a month, change a child’s entire trajectory. The Prophet ﭐ promised the sponsor a place in Paradise.
Practical questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sponsor a specific child?
Yes — once you commit to a sponsorship we send you the profile of a named child, with their photograph, age, location, and guardian details. You can request a particular age or gender if you wish.
Can my Zakat be used for orphan sponsorship?
Yes. Orphans living in poverty fall within the ‘poor and needy’ categories of Zakat recipients (Qur’an 9:60). DHT will allocate your Zakat to Zakat-eligible orphans only.
What if my circumstances change and I can’t continue?
Pause or cancel any time. Where possible, we will move the child to a new sponsor immediately so their support is not interrupted.
Can the orphan write to me?
Yes. We facilitate annual letters and drawings where the child’s age and language allow. Some sponsors visit the families in person on trips arranged by DHT.
The Prophet ﭐ said the believer is to others as a single body. If one part of the body hurts, the rest cannot rest. Across the Ummah today, millions of children need a hand. Yours could be the one that holds theirs.
