The Ruling on Adopting Children

Question:
After that, we move on to the letter from the questioner (L. A. M), who says: What is the ruling on adopting children? And what is the ruling if this woman has breastfed that child? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Adoption is not permissible in Islam. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Al-Ahzab:5] So if he raises him with proper upbringing and attributes him to his father, there is no harm. It is fine for him to be kind to him, raise him, and spend on him, because he is an orphan with no father, or because he is unknown and his identity is not known. This falls under the category of doing good (ihsan). However, he must not attribute him to himself. He should raise him, be kind to him, and attribute him to a name that is a slave of Allah, such as So-and-so ibn Abdullah, ibn Abd al-Rahman, ibn Abd al-Majid, and so on. He must not attribute him to himself, because Allah said: [Al-Ahzab:5]. Also, attributing him to himself gives the impression that he is his son. He might inherit from him, and his children might consider him a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to the girls, and so on, leading to various forms of corruption.
The point is that raising the child is permissible. It is fine for him to raise him because he is unknown, or an orphan whose father is not known, or something similar. In that case, he should be kind to him and spend on him, just as happens in wars when children are lost and their fathers and mothers are not found, or when a child is placed in a mosque with no one to claim him. He takes him and is kind to him; there is no harm in this as an act of doing good (ihsan). He raises him and spends on him, but he does not attribute him to himself. He does not say, "My son." Rather, he attributes him to one of the slaves of Allah: Abdullah ibn So-and-so, Muhammad ibn So-and-so, Salih ibn So-and-so. He gives him one of the legitimate names: Salih ibn Abdullah, Salih ibn Abd al-Rahman, Salih ibn Abd al-Rahim, and the like. Yes.

The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence the Shaykh.