:I and the caretaker of an orphan are like these two

The great virtue with which Allah has endowed those who care for orphans, including widowed women or those

 who take them under their care and attention, is part of the honor Islam bestows upon widowed women who support children. The noble Prophet said, "I and the guardian of an orphan will be in Paradise like these two," and he pointed with his index and middle finger.

Due to the conflicts the world has faced due to internal and external wars, it has become necessary to shine a light on this important segment of society recently. The advancement of any society is closely linked to the advancement of women and their ability to stand and face difficult and emergency situations, and by their ability to participate in social and economic sustainable development. With the increasing number of widowed women in the Arab world, particularly, and in Asia and Africa, in general, researchers have turned their attention to studying the problems, issues, and life pressures that widowed women face recently. It is essential to assist them in engaging in some work to support their families financially since work is an act of worship, as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said through Abu Hurairah - may Allah be pleased with him - that the Prophet - peace be upon him - said: "It is better for one of you to carry a bundle of wood on his back than to ask someone, who may give him or refuse him."

Therefore, to support widowed women with small economic projects that the widowed woman can benefit from in supporting her family without needing to extend her hand to others, to be an active member in the society she lives in, has proven to be the most appropriate solution to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic development. This is because small projects can be undertaken by most people, unlike support for large projects, which is limited to a small group of people.

The successful, strong widow is a struggling woman who continues life as if her husband were still alive, embalming everything around her and not exposing herself to any situation that may force her to face reality and herself with strength and merit without stopping time, which may continue for years so as not to deteriorate her psychological, physical state, which is strongly linked to the social implications following the husband's death, most importantly economic and living deterioration and other arising problems.

Because the widow faces three shocks when her husband dies, and in the presence of young children, the first shock is social and relates to the widow's residence after her husband's death, where social custom dictates that the wife moves to live with her husband's family who bear the expenses and living of the children despite many of them not being financially capable. However, they do not allow the widow to live alone, and some do not change their residence and stay in the husband's house, with the husband's family continuing their living and checking on them. The second shock is psychological, as the wife experiences anxiety, tension, and fear for the family and children, in addition to losing the emotional and affectionate aspect. The third shock is economic, especially since the family provider who provided for all the children's expenses and needs died, leaving the wife alone in front of her responsibilities and suffering, thereby burdening her in raising the children after he was the supporter and backbone for her, and she suffers financially and morally after him, especially if she was a lady who does not possess anything to rely on in her future life, taking on the responsibility of her children alone and becoming both mother and father to her children.

Abu Ya'la extracted from the hadith of Abu Huraira - may Allah be pleased with him - raised to the Prophet - peace be upon him - that he said: "I am the first to open the door of Paradise, and there is a woman who outruns me, so I say: Who are you? She says: I am a woman who was widowed over orphans for me"; and its narrators are acceptable.

Some studies have concluded that the widowed woman, after losing her husband, faces many problems such as (a degraded societal view, material need and economic dependence on others, feelings of helplessness and weakness, a sense of psychological and emotional void, fear of harm to the children, feelings of loneliness, a sense of insecurity, feelings of despair and fear of succumbing to life's temptations, isolation, avoiding others, and attempting suicide).

Abu Huraira - may Allah be pleased with him - narrated from the Prophet - peace be upon him - who said: "The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) in the cause of Allah," and I think he said, "And like the one who prays through the night without rest, and the one who fasts and never breaks his fast"; agreed upon.

The matters that represent difficult circumstances for widows after their husbands' death include:

• Arrangements of residence for the widows
• Resources under the control of widows
• Activities performed by widows and how they differ from those of married women.
• The nature of equality between widows and other family members.
• Conditions of widows who are mothers with children under their care
• Attitudes of children and other family members towards widowed women.

Poverty and marginalization leave indelible impacts on those supported by widows, with children of widows being less fortunate in education, and widowed mothers are forced to withdraw their children from school to help in child labor, increasing the likelihood of girls marrying at a young age and dropping out of education.

Regarding the right to inheritance, land, and property, despite modern laws ratified on the convention to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, the fate of widows in many countries is determined based on interpretations of religious, customary, and traditional rules that deprive them of the right to own land or property or the right to their inheritance. Common practices in many areas include seizing their properties in addition to depriving them of the right to land.

Many widows rely on government pensions but live in poverty due to the high cost of living, and often widows struggle to obtain a pension due to illiteracy, facilitating male relatives' seizure of their entitlements. Widows need to work to survive and raise their children.

We must not forget the weak role of the media in conveying a true image of the widowed woman's suffering through series or their success stories, etc. The media always presents a stereotypical negative image of the widow in all works. Therefore, we urge the media system to consider presenting a positive image of the widow, focusing on successful models of struggling widowed women so they can be a role model for others.

Source/ Adapted from the book Community Support for Widowed Women, 2023, pages 77-83, a team of researchers specialized in the ARID platform on widows.