Is sponsoring orphans limited to relatives?

In fact, sponsoring an orphan is one of the most meritorious deeds that bring the great reward of being in the company of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Paradise. Sahl ibn Sa`d reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise,” and he gestured with his index and middle fingers.

Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim scholar and lecturer, states the following: Undoubtedly sponsoring an orphan is a great righteous deed and a good and praiseworthy action. Allah has enjoined it in His Book, and our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has spoken of its virtue in his Sunnah. Almighty Allah says: (Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful) (An-Nisaa’ 4: 36). And also, (but al-birr (righteousness) is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, …) (Al-Baqarah 2: 177).

Sahl ibn Sa`d reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise,” and he gestured with his index and middle fingers (Al-Bukhari).

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The one who sponsors an orphan, whether he is related to him or not, he and I will be like these two in Paradise,” and Malik gestured with his index and middle fingers (Muslim).

Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath: “What is meant by ‘related to him’ is when a grandfather, paternal uncle, brother, or other relative sponsors the orphan or if the child’s father has died and his mother takes his place.”

An-Nawawi said: “With regard to the phrase ‘whether he is related to him or not’, ‘related to him’ means if he is a relative, such as his grandfather, mother, grandmother, brother, sister, paternal uncle, maternal uncle, paternal aunt, maternal aunt, or other relatives. ‘Or not (related to him)’ means if he is a stranger (a non-relative).”

Sponsoring an orphan is not limited to non-relatives. It is recommended with regard to relatives and non-relatives like. Indeed the reward for sponsoring an orphan who is a relative includes sponsoring an orphan and the reward for upholding the ties of kinship. This is indicated by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah quoted above.