Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamualikom wbk

Bismillahirahmanirahim.

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Abdul Hamid Bin Ismail, I'm from Singapore. I understand that if you adopted a child, without knowing whose so ever his parents was. Either from an orphanage home or from any other sources of adoption requirement through a legal prosedure as a parent of the adopted child. To my understanding in Islam, according to Syariat Islamic the adopted child cannot be 'Bin' after his adopted father but must be 'Bin' with 'Abdullah'. My question is, if you are adopted a child through a legal prosedure, normally you are the adopted parent legally. In view of the Syariat Islamic the child is 'Bin' with 'Abdullah'. But, what if the situation due to certain requirement need to change the child's name from 'Muhammad Bin Abdullah' or otherwise to his adopted parent for example "Muhammad Abdul Hamid".

Muhammad is the child name and Abdul Hamid is the adopted parent, without 'Bin" But, the adopted child still remain as 'Muhammad Bin Abdullah'is an alias or nickname which is written in the Identity of the

child. My question again, is it wrong in Syariat Islamic? To rename the child after the name of his adopted parent, and to place the name 'Muhammad Bin Abdullah ' as an alias for his Identity. The reason is, to

avoid any future problems or misunderstanding and as well as the requirement on civil right or legal aid for his future.

Wassalam!

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Name adopted child

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verses 4-5:

4        Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body: nor has He made your wives whom ye divorce by Zihar your mothers: nor has He made your adopted sons your sons.  Such is (only) your (manner of) speech by your mouths.  But Allah tells (you) the Truth and He shows the (right) Way.

5        Call them by (the names) of their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah but if ye know not their father's (names, call them) your Brothers in faith or your Maulas.  But there is no blame on you if ye make a mistake therein: (what counts is) the intention of your hearts: and Allah is Oft-Returning Most Merciful.

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, it would be best and more just in the sight of Allah Subhanah if the adopted child is called by the name of his biological father, for blood relations have very important ramifications in the deen of Islam.  It is not permissible in Islam for an adopted parent to attach his name with the name of his adopted child in a way that it seems that the adopted child is his own biological child.  If one knows the name of the biological father of the adopted child, it would definitely be purer and juster in the sight of Allah Subhanah to call the adopted child by their original father’s name.

Neither will the adopted child inherit from his adopted parents in Shariah Law, nor will the adopted parents inherit from the wealth of the adopted child; but both are permitted in Islam to bequeath upto a maximum of 1/3^rd of their wealth to them through a ‘will’.  Neither will the adopted child (if boy) be considered a mehram of the adopted mother and she must cover from him when the child reaches the age of puberty, unless of course she suckles the child in its infancy; nor will the adopted child (if girl) be considered a mehram of the adopted father and she must veil herself from her adopted father when she reaches the age of puberty.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) freed the slave he had received as a gift, Hadrat Zaid bin Haritha (r.a.), and adopted him as his son; and he was thereafter called Zaid bin Muhammed (saws).  But when the Aayah of Surah Ahzaab was revealed, Prophet Mohamed (saws) removed his name and attached the name of the biological father ‘Haritha’ to the name of Hadrat Zaid (r.a.).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.305         Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

We used not to call Zaid bin Haritha the freed slave (and adopted son) of the Messenger of Allah (saws) except Zaid bin Muhammad till the Qu'anic Verse was revealed: "Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers. That is more juster in the Sight of Allah." (33.5)

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan