What is meant by the guardianship of an orphan in the hadith?

Question : Shaykh Muhammad, this sister who is with us on the line is inquiring about the guardianship of the orphan in our current time. Does this apply to the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?

Answer : The hadith you referred to is where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said They said it was the index and middle fingers. However, the guardianship of an orphan is for a person to take him in, to embrace him, and to provide for his needs, as Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said regarding Zakariyya. As for what is currently being done in the form of charity for orphans, that falls under the category of feeding the poor, not the category of guardianship of orphans.