How do the angels receive the souls of those who die from hunger? Do they wave a loaf of bread to them as they ascend to the sky?

Bread Before Heaven

Conceptual illustration created by the author using AI. This original image was generated by the author to symbolically reflect the humanitarian tragedy of child hunger and should not be interpreted as a depiction of a real event or religious doctrine.

I often wonder…

How do the angels receive the souls of those who die from hunger? Do they wave a loaf of bread to them as they ascend to the sky?

When I walk in the streets and see children — poor children — asking for a small amount of money just to buy something that eases their hunger… sometimes they don’t even ask for money. They simply say, “Auntie, please buy us bread so we can satisfy our hunger and the hunger of our younger siblings.”

In those moments, I wish I had all the money in the world so I could divide it among all the poor and hungry, so that no one would ever feel hunger again.

And I often wonder… when I enter a restaurant, how can I eat while there are hungry people outside?

Sometimes I find myself saying, I hate poverty — because of what it does to people. It creates need, humiliation, and desperation. It leaves people unable to afford food to satisfy their hunger, unable to afford treatment when they are sick. And so they die — of hunger, of illness, of poverty.

I remember a saying attributed to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him): “If poverty were a man, I would have killed him.”

I wish poverty would disappear from the entire world.

Karrar Fares Al-Kaabi.

One of those children was Karrar Fares Al-Kaabi.

Poverty had stolen his childhood long before it claimed his life. Instead of spending his days in school or at play, Karrar sold tea on the streets to help feed himself and his family because they could not afford even basic food or bread.

While running through the streets of Basra in search of another customer — and another small chance to earn enough for a meal — he was struck by a truck. The impact was fatal, and he died while chasing the simplest of human needs: a piece of bread.

Karrar was not killed by an accident alone. He was a victim of poverty, neglect, and a society that allowed a child to carry the burden of survival. His story is a painful reminder that hunger does not only weaken children — it can also place them in danger long before their lives have truly begun.

I taught my children that when they go to school, I give them extra pocket money and extra food. I tell them that if they see a child who did not bring food or money to buy from the school canteen, they should give them the extra money or share their own lunch. And if I forget to give them extra money, I tell them to share what they have.

I always make sure they carry extra food so they can give it to someone in need.

I wish every person in this world would act this way — teach their children compassion, or take initiative to help any poor person they see in the street. I believe then we would not find poverty, especially hunger, in this world.

God, the Lord of the worlds, created this life generously. He gave us air without limits, land without limits, water without limits. He did not withhold His blessings from us.

So why do we, as human beings, withhold food and money from those in need?

And here I remember the children of Gaza…

How much have these children suffered just to find a piece of bread? How much have they endured? How much of their childhood and dreams have been stolen?

They did not live a normal childhood like ours. They were born and raised to the sound of explosions and bombardment, witnessing their families and loved ones dying in front of their eyes.

I once saw a video of children playing — but their game was heartbreaking. They placed a doll on the ground, wrapped it with makeshift cloths, and pretended it was injured. They carried it as if rushing it to a hospital. Even in their play, they were reenacting their reality.

What did these children do? What is their fault in being born into a land that has been consumed by destruction for generations?

I wish peace would prevail over all lands — for the sake of all children.

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