Care for the Poor and the Stranger

Christianity

When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

The Bible (King James Version), Deuteronomy 24:19, 1611

Judaism

When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

The Bible (King James Version), Deuteronomy 24:19, 1611

Islam

Summary: The Quran, in Surah 2:177 (Sale translation), defines righteousness as giving wealth to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, and those who ask, regardless of circumstance. The George Sale translation (1734) is available at Project Gutenberg.

The Koran, George Sale, 1734

Hinduism

Summary: The Mahabharata (Book 12, Santi Parva, Ganguli translation, 1883) teaches that the king should protect all subjects, including the poor and vulnerable, and that giving to those in need is among the highest duties. The Ganguli translation is available at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm. ### Buddhism > He who inflicts pain on innocent and harmless persons, will soon come to one of these ten states.

The Dhammapada, v. 137, F. Max Müller (Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 10), 1881

Confucianism

The Master said, "Let him preside over them with gravity; then they will reverence him. Let him be final and kind to all; then they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent; then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous."

The Confucian Analects, bk. ii, c. xx, James Legge, 1893

Sikhism

The Guru has given me this one understanding: there is only the One, the Giver of all souls. May I never forget Him!

Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Japji section, anonymous English translation, 1877