Quran Universe
89:17

كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ

Kalla bal la tukrimoona alyateema

No! But you do not honor the orphan

Word by word
  1. كَلَّاۖNay
  2. بَلBut
  3. لَّاnot
  4. تُكۡرِمُونَyou honor
  5. ٱلۡيَتِيمَthe orphan
Al-Fajr · 89:17Makkah

No. The real problem: you do not honor the orphan.

The test was never about how much you had

What they missed
worried about statushonored or humiliated?
the orphanleft without honor
The reward on offer
care for an orphan
leads to
near the Prophet ﷺlike two fingers in Paradise

Allah says No! to both claims, then names the real failure: you do not honor the orphan. Ibn Kathir notes it contains the command to honor him, and the Prophet ﷺ said the orphan's guardian and I will be like these two in Paradise, holding two fingers together.

You spend hours thinking about whether your life is going well. Meanwhile there is a child in your extended family whose father died, and you have not called in a year. The test was what you did for them.

My test is whether I am rich or poor.

My test is what I do for the vulnerable with what I have.

Try this

Contact or support one orphan, or a charity that cares for orphans, this week.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 89:15)

As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honor and bounties, then he says: "My Lord has honored me. (15)But when He tries him by straitening his means of life, he says: "My Lord has humiliated me! (16)But no! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (17)And urge not one another on the feeding of the Miskin (18)And you devour the Turath – devouring with greed (19)And you love wealth with love Jamma (20)

Wealth and Poverty are both a Test and Honor or Disgrace for the Servant

Allah refutes man in his belief that if Allah gives Him abundant provisions to test him with it, it is out of His honor for him. But this is not the case, rather it is a trial and a test, as Allah says,

أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ - نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ بَل لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ

(Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them. We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.)(23:55-56)

Likewise, from another angle, if Allah tests him and tries him by curtailing his sustenance, he believes that is because Allah is humiliating him. As Allah says,

كَلَّا

(But no!) meaning, the matter is not as he claims, neither in this nor in that. For indeed Allah gives wealth to those whom He loves as well as those whom He does not love. Likewise, He withholds sustenance from those whom He loves and those whom He does not love. The point is that Allah should be obeyed in either circumstance. If one is wealthy, he should thank Allah for that, and if he is poor, he should exercise patience.

From the Evil that the Servant does regarding Wealth

Allah said,

بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ

(But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity!)

This contains the command to honor him (the orphan). Abu Dawud recorded from Sahl bin Sa'id that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

أَنَا وَكَافِلُ الْيَتِيمِ كَهَاتَيْنِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ

(The guardian of the orphan and I will be like these two in Paradise.) And he put his two fingers together - the middle finger and the index finger.

وَلَا تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ

(And urge not one another on the feeding of the Miskin!)

meaning, they do not command that the poor and the needy be treated with kindness, nor do they encourage each other to do so.

وَتَأْكُلُونَ التُّرَاثَ

(And you devour the Turath) meaning, the inheritance.

أَكْلًا لَّمًّا

(devouring with greed.) meaning, however they can get it, whether lawful or forbidden.

وَتُحِبُّونَ الْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا

(And you love wealth with love Jamma.) meaning, in abundance. This increases some of them in their wickedness.