Why should we Foster?

There are various reasons as to why we should foster. You can find reasoning for it from a moral or a Religious Perspective. Morally we all think we are good people and help out or do good in the world in whatever capacity we can. A big initiative we often hear about is giving back to our communities. We feel a sense of obligation to give back to our community.

What a better way to give back to your community than fostering a vulnerable child. We often might not see it or be aware but there is an alarming increase of children going into care. A foster carer is more than a parent, who goes out of their way to make sure the foster child’s health and mental wellbeing are restored.

The Foster carer provides a warm home for the child as well as a space in their hearts. It is essential for a foster child to feel loved and support so they can develop mentally, socially thus allowing the child to thrive.

From a Religious perspective, there are plenty of hadiths on looking after orphans. Islam mandates that we care for children in need.  The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I and the one who cares for an orphan will be in Paradise like these two,” and he gestured with his two fingers, meaning the forefinger and the middle finger (Tirmidhi).

In another hadith Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “The best house among the Muslims is the house in which orphans are well treated.”

If you look into the virtues and rewards of looking after orphans you will see that looking after orphans reaps the highest rewards from an Islamic standpoint.

The Prophet PBUH was himself an orphan who was looked after by his grandfather, then his uncle and later by his community. He adult life was spent taking in orphans and looking after them looking after them, in the process setting a precedence for the rest of the Ummah.

At Muslim Foster Network we hold a fortnightly coffee evening for people who are interested in becoming foster carers. This week our Coffee evening is on Thursday the 24th of January at 6pm at The Faith Centre Bradford, BD8 8JY.

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