Adoption and Fostering in Islam
By Shafiq Alvarado
Pennsylvania

 

Many Muslims are fascinated when they find out I am a foster parent. Some congratulate me and offer well-wishes. Others admonish me saying that it is an un-Islamic practice. To arrive at an informed conclusion, however, let’s explore adoption and fostering in Islam and what Allah, The Most Glorified, The Most High, says in the Qur’an, regarding this topic:  

"...  And they will ask you about [how to deal with] orphans. Say: 'To improve their condition is best.' And if you share their life, [remember that] they are your brethren …" 

(Qur’an Al-Baqarah, 2:220)

It is obvious that orphans cannot take care of themselves. So, the question is this: Why should Muslims shy away from doing such an enormous good deed as taking care of a child who has lost his or her parents? Our own Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, was an orphan himself, and he took a special interest in caring for children. In Islam, raising an orphan, a child who is not one's own, is permissible. Many people will doubt this, due to a lack of understanding regarding the rules and regulations within Islamic jurisprudence that allow it. One Islamic dictum is that a child raised by adoptive parents must maintain his or her biological father's name and not take the adoptive father's name. 

“[As for your adopted children,] call them by their [real] fathers’ names: this is more equitable in the sight of God; and if you know not who their fathers were, [call them] your brethren in faith and your friends. However, you will incur no sin if you err in this respect: [what really matters is] but what your hearts intend - for God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!” 

(Qur’an Al-Ahzab, 33:5)

This verse specifies that the adoptive parents are not to create a false impression that the orphaned or adopted children are their biological children. This is best for all parties involved. The adopted children may be non-mahram to the adoptive family and as such, special care needs to be taken when these children reach the age of maturity. Although probably rare nowadays, an adopted child can become a mahram to his adopted family by being breastfed by the adoptive mother before the child reaches the age of two years. In some cases, an orphan may be raised by relatives of the parents, and may be considered mahram, depending on the relationship between the child’s absent parents and the foster/adoptive parents.

Reasons Why a Child Needs to be Fostered or Adopted

There are many reasons why a child is not being taken care of by his or her parents. The most obvious reason is that the child's parents are not living. Another reason is that children are legally given up for adoption (in the US) for various reasons. Related to this, many children are abandoned by their parents for a variety of reasons (child born out of wedlock, parent unable to afford or care for the child, mental illness, etc.). In the US, many children are also removed from the care of their parents because of a grave safety concern. Some children, unfortunately, have been abused and have faced neglect and, thus, it is deemed best that they be removed from the care of their parent(s).

Foster Care or Adoption?

In the United States, each state has laws pertaining to foster care and adoption. Some of these laws overlap. Some of these laws may be quite different, however. Foster care is a temporary solution to a specific problem (such as those listed above) and is usually employed as an immediate measure to ensure the safety of, and provide a stable residence for, the child. Some children in foster care only spend a few nights with a foster family and then return home when the safety issue has been addressed. Other children stay for far longer within the foster care system such as when there are no known family members, or when existing family members do not want to take on the responsibility of the child, or when family members may not qualify, or the parent is not complying with state regulations, etc.
Adoption on the other hand, in the US, is where a family legally makes another child part of their family. This child can be a relative (such as a niece or nephew) or totally unrelated. Some children are adopted after they have lived with a foster family. Some families go to other countries to adopt children because the family may feel an ethnic or national affinity with the country they are adopting from. In any case, adoption is meant to be a permanent placement for children. Adoption shares many similar rules as foster care, but also differs substantially from it.

Benefits

Besides the spiritual benefits that one can obtain from fostering or adopting a child, there are practical benefits as well. Foster care is a service for which the foster family is remunerated by the state. This can serve as added income for the family. If a family has one parent who does not work and stays at home, and there are children already living in the household, adding another child is not too much of an imposition and can enrich the family dynamics. Later, during tax season, this child can also be added as a dependent of the family. Additional benefits may include meeting new people through the various agencies that one will need to deal with. Adoptive and foster parents can choose the "type" of children they are willing to foster or adopt. For example, if one prefers younger children, these children can be placed in your care.

Taking Precautions

Bringing a new child into one’s home can certainly be an enriching experience for all family members. However, it may come with some challenges. Many children in foster care and those who are ready to be adopted have real problems. Some of these problems are medical or have to do with untreated mental health issues. Other children have issues stemming from abuse and neglect that they have experienced. Because of this, the adoptive or foster parent will need to take these children for necessary medical or counseling appointments to help ensure that they get the support they need. 

Some children may be physically stronger than their foster or adoptive parents. These parents must make sure that they can handle the responsibility of taking care of an older child if this is the demographic they choose. Although it may be allowed to varying degrees and in certain circumstances in Islam, the use of physical discipline is not allowed with foster or adopted children. In matters of religion, it is permissible to take non-Muslim children to the masjid and teach them about Islam, but only with permission from the state agency that placed the child.

Conclusion

Very few Muslims in the US are foster parents. Yet, there are Muslim children who have been removed from the care of their families and placed into non-Muslim homes. Can you imagine the shock that these children are going through? They may be unknowingly forced to eat haram foods or participate in non-Islamic practices, gatherings, or celebrations, among other things. 

We should consider becoming foster or adoptive parents, or at the very least sponsoring a child in need. The rewards for these actions far outweigh the challenges for those who can handle the responsibility.  Allah discusses the issue of orphans and the responsibilities of their caretakers in the Qur’an, emphasizing the importance of treating them kindly and with justice. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, also mentioned that those who sponsor orphans will find themselves near to him in Paradise. He said, “I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise” – and he gestured with his index and middle fingers, holding them just slightly apart (Bukhari). 

May Allah make us of those who will be close to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in the afterlife, and may He bestow his mercy and blessings upon the orphans all over the world. Amen.  

Further reading recommendation:
http://islam.about.com/cs/parenting/a/adoption.htm

(Shafiq Alvarado is a former foster parent and currently works as a Child Protective Services Caseworker in Pennsylvania. He is of Dominican descent and converted to Islam in 1992.)

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