In my situation if I don't introduce him as my son or my sister's son for sure the child would face a lot of problems in the society.
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:
Assalam-o-Alaikum
Dear Brother,
May Allah reward you for the good work you are doing.
I have a question, and I would request you to reply to me only.
Last year when I was in my holidays to my country, we
adopted an infant (a baby boy) few hours after his birth. The charity
organisation which runs this child adoption program does not provide child's
biological parent's details.
Since, I live abroad I required child's birth certificate
and other legal documents to make passport and visa. I gave my name to him as
father, because I didn't know about his biological parents. I call him my son,
my close relatives know the fact but when we brought the child with us abroad
we told everybody that we adopted this child from my younger sister back home.
According to Quran chapter Al-Ahzab: 4-5, I can't give my
name to the child, I should call him as brother in faith or friend. But the
fact is, in papers he is my son and also we treat him as our own son.
I know we have to reveal the fact to him some day that we
are not his real parents; which one can imagine is itself a very big and
shocking news for him, but we would manage it Inshallah with the love and care.
But if I don't give him my name as father the society will make his life
miserable, especially if its known that he is result of an adultry or Allah
know the circumstance when her mother gave birth in a charity hospital and left
him there for others to adopt him.
In the West people really don't care but in our
sub-continent society there is big discrimination. I am scared this might ruin
his life.
I am extremely worried of commandments from Allah in Quran
and about the day of judgement. But in my situation if I don't introduce him as
my son or my sister's son for sure the child would face a lot of problems in
the society.
Kindly advise what should I do?
(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:
Adopted child name
and challenges
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 none 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 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 177:
177 It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces toward East or West;
but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and
the Book and the Messengers; to spend of your substance out of love for Him for
your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those
who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer and practice
regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and
patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of
panic. Such are the people of truth, the
Allah-fearing.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 215:
215 They ask thee what they should spend (in charity). Say: “Whatever ye spend that is good is for
parents, and kindred, and orphans, and those in want, and for
wayfarers. And whatever ye do that is
good Allah knoweth it well.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 220:
220 …..They ask thee (O Prophet (saws)) concerning orphans. Say: "The best thing to do is what is
for their good.”
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4974 Narrated by Abu Umamah
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If
anyone strokes an orphan's head, doing so only for Allah's Sake, he will have
blessings for every hair over which his hand passes; and if anyone treats well
an orphan girl or boy under his care, he and I (Prophet Mohamed (saws)) shall
be like these two in Paradise," putting two of his fingers together!
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4973 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "The best
house among the Muslims is one which contains an orphan who is well treated,
and the worst house among the Muslims is one which contains an orphan who is
badly treated."
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.34 Narrated by Sahl bin Sad
The Prophet (saws) said, "I and the
person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in
In light of the above guidance of the Quran and Sunnah one
cannot even imagine the rewards the Lord Most Gracious would bestow on those
blessed and fortunate people who took good care of orphans.
Because the relationship of blood in Islamic Law has
obvious ties towards marriage, inheritance, etc.; there are certain guidelines
in Islam a believer who wishes to adopt must follow:
- The child will always be called by his/her
biological father’s name.
- The child will only inherit from his original
blood-relationship. He will not be
eligible to inherit from his foster-parents. The foster-parents who adopt the child
have the option to will or bequeath upto a maximum of one/third of their
wealth to their adopted children after their death, if they wish to do so.
- If the foster-mother has nursed the adopted
child in her infancy, then she will be considered a mehram of the child;
but if the foster-mother has not nursed the adopted child, then she will
not be considered a mehram of the adopted child.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verses 4-5:
…Allah has not made
your adopted sons your real sons. These
are the things which you utter from your mouths, but Allah says what is based on reality; and He Alone guides to the
Your Question: Kindly advise what should I do?
Respected brother in Islam, you should do what the Lord
All-Knowing All-Wise has commanded you to do, if indeed you fear Allah and the
Last Day. Whatever might be the level of
your imaginary fears, it would only be piety and righteousness on your part in
the Sight of the Lord that you declare only the truth….and if the truth is that
the identity of the parents of your adopted child are known, then so be it.
It would neither be lawful in Shariah, nor piety, nor
righteousness in the Sight of the Lord that you invent a lie and introduce your
adopted child as your child or your sister’s child, when the truth is it is
not. If the ignorant in the society
choose to revile or abuse your absolutely innocent and blameless adopted child
only because the identity of its parents happen to be unknown, then they shall
pay for their evil in the Court of the Lord Most Majestic on that Inevitable
and Tumultuous Day of Judgment.
Respected brother in Islam, let not the fear of the
perceived evil of the ignorant inspire or instigate you to transgress the Prescribed
Boundaries of your Lord….you do what is akin to piety, righteousness, and the
truth and leave the rest in the more than capable and able Hands of the Lord
All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah
Ahzaab verse 36:
It does not behove a believing man and a
believing woman that when Allah and His Messenger have given their decision in
a matter, they should exercise an option
in that matter of theirs. For whoever
disobeys Allah and His Messenger, has
indeed strayed into manifest error.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister