By Shaykh Abdul Qayum
23 May 2025

﷽ 

With so many wars and conflicts unfolding across the globe, from Palestine to Syria, from Sudan to Afghanistan, the toll on families is heartbreaking. Thousands of children have been forced to flee, many of them arriving in the UK completely alone. Today, I want to reflect on an urgent issue that weighs heavily on our collective conscience: the need for more Muslim foster carers.

There are currently over 7,000 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in care in the UK. A significant number of them come from Muslim-majority countries such as Sudan, Eritrea, Albania, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Syria. In some regions, more than 90% of these children are placed in homes that cannot support their Islamic identity due to the shortage of Muslim foster carers.

These are not just statistics. These are lives. These children are part of our Ummah. If we do not step forward, they risk growing up without the ability to perform salah, without the spiritual guidance that is their right and without any connection to Islam. They may be cared for with kindness, but they may also grow up distant from the deen that shapes their identity and offers meaning.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself was an orphan. He was first looked after by his grandfather and later by his uncle, Abu Talib. Allah reminds us of this care in the Qur’an in Surah Ad-Duhaa:

This is not just a historical reference, it is a call to action.

Allah continues in the same Surah:

And in another chapter of the Qur’an, Surah Al-Maʿūn, Allah says:

These verses make it clear: turning our backs on vulnerable children is not a small matter. It is a serious failing.

The Prophet ﷺ promised immense reward for those who step up. He said,

I and the one who cares for an orphan will be in Paradise like this.

and he held his index and middle fingers close together. What greater motivation could there be than this promise of nearness to our Prophet ﷺ in Jannah?

Fostering is not just a civic responsibility; it is an act of worship. It is a form of sadaqah that continues to give, shaping lives and hearts for years to come. It is an opportunity to teach, to guide, and to nurture the faith of a young soul.

Local councils and fostering agencies are pleading for more Muslim carers. Children are being placed in non-Muslim homes not by choice, but by necessity. And this raises difficult questions: Are they eating halal? Are they being taught to pray? Are they learning about Allah and His Messenger?

With the days of Dhul Hijjah fast approaching, I do not want to end this sermon without reminding us of their immense blessings. The Prophet ﷺ said, “There are no days during which righteous deeds are so pleasing to Allah than these days,” referring to the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Not even jihad, he said, except in the case of someone who gives everything and returns with nothing.

These ten days are a time to renew our connection with Allah through fasting, prayer, charity, and remembrance. One of the practices we must adopt in this blessed period is constant recitation of the takbir:

الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله والله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد

Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar, Lā ilāha illa Allāh, wa Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar wa lillāhi al-hamd.

“Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no deity except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.”

The takbirāt are to be recited as much as possible, not only after prayers but throughout the day, while walking, in the marketplace, or at home. The Sahabah would recite them aloud in public to remind others of these blessed days. 

This is our moment to act! 

Fostering a child, offering them a home grounded in faith and love, could be the most rewarding deed we undertake. It is a chance to serve Allah by serving His creation.

May Allah open our hearts, guide our steps, and enable us to rise to this challenge. May He reward those who care for the vulnerable and grant them high rank in this life and the next.

Ameen.

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