حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ عَطَائٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ لَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ وَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْکُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَی ظُلْمًا الْآيَةَ انْطَلَقَ مَنْ کَانَ عِنْدَهُ يَتِيمٌ فَعَزَلَ طَعَامَهُ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابَهُ مِنْ شَرَابِهِ فَجَعَلَ يَفْضُلُ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ فَيُحْبَسُ لَهُ حَتَّی يَأْکُلَهُ أَوْ يَفْسُدَ فَاشْتَدَّ ذَلِکَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَذَکَرُوا ذَلِکَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَيَسْأَلُونَکَ عَنْ الْيَتَامَی قُلْ إِصْلَاحٌ لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ وَإِنْ تُخَالِطُوهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُکُمْ فَخَلَطُوا طَعَامَهُمْ بِطَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابَهُمْ بِشَرَابِهِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 2871
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: When Allah, Most High, revealed the verses: "Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it". And "Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans", everyone who had an orphan with him went and separated his food from his (orphan's) food, and his drink from his drink, and began to detain the remaining food which he (the orphan) himself ate or spoiled. This fell heavy on them, and they mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So Allah, Most High, revealed the verse: "They ask thee concerning orphans. Say: The best thing to do is what is for their good; if ye mix their affairs with yours, they are your brethren. " Then they mixed their food with his food and their drink with his drink.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020