What is the ruling on adoption in Islam for a couple who are unable to have children?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is the ruling on adoption in Islam for a couple who are unable to have children?
The Shaykh : This is a settled matter. Adoption in Islam, if the intention is to attribute a child to other than his biological parents, is forbidden. However, if the intention by adoption is to take charge of his upbringing and education without attributing him to other than his father and mother, this is among the noble qualities of Islam, which encourages caring for orphans. But the meaning of adoption, both in the past and the present, does not mean caring for the upbringing of orphans; rather, it means attributing a child to other than his biological parents. That is among the forbidden things and the major sins in Islam. This is a matter, and praise be to Allah, in which there has been no disagreement among the Muslims. Therefore, it should not be in any of us any doubt that this is among the greatest of the forbidden things, because it entails what lies beyond it: the adopted child may see the private parts of the children of the couple, he may inherit from them, and they may inherit from him. Thus, lineages become mixed and rulings become confused, becoming a legal ruling. So this is not permissible by consensus, and praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : This is a settled matter. Adoption in Islam, if the intention is to attribute a child to other than his biological parents, is forbidden. However, if the intention by adoption is to take charge of his upbringing and education without attributing him to other than his father and mother, this is among the noble qualities of Islam, which encourages caring for orphans. But the meaning of adoption, both in the past and the present, does not mean caring for the upbringing of orphans; rather, it means attributing a child to other than his biological parents. That is among the forbidden things and the major sins in Islam. This is a matter, and praise be to Allah, in which there has been no disagreement among the Muslims. Therefore, it should not be in any of us any doubt that this is among the greatest of the forbidden things, because it entails what lies beyond it: the adopted child may see the private parts of the children of the couple, he may inherit from them, and they may inherit from him. Thus, lineages become mixed and rulings become confused, becoming a legal ruling. So this is not permissible by consensus, and praise be to Allah.