ISLAM AND FOSTERING

In recent years there has been some controversy on the issue of fostering and adoption. Confusion has prevailed as to the exact do’s and do not’s for Muslims that wish to foster.

A brief study of the subject may enlighten us as to the true nature of this matter. This article is designed to give the community a better understanding of the issue so that more people may get involved in this noble responsibility.

‘The most famous orphan in Islamic culture is, without doubt, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. His father died before he was born and by the time he was eight he had lost both his mother and the grandfather who named him. He was subsequently raised by his uncle Abu Talib who continued to be his protector until his own death, when Muhammad was an adult of almost fifty years of age.

When Muhammad's wife Khadijah gave to him a slave named Zaid, Muhammad freed the boy and raised him as if he were his own son. The importance of taking homeless children to care for them is well-established in Islam.

The Islam form of "adoption" is called kafâla, which literally means sponsorship, but comes from the root word meaning "to feed." It is best translated as "foster parenting."’

Source: The Islamic View Of Adoption And Caring For Homeless Children by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D.

As can be seen, foster care is well established in Islam as a means of providing care to children. Fostering allows a child to benefit from the care of a good home, while at the same time not losing his/her rights from birth parents.

‘In the light of this historical fact, Muslims are no strangers to the concept of adoption and foster care. In fact, they have before them lofty examples of these practices right from the life of the Holy Messenger himself.

Having been brought up as an orphan himself, it placed the Holy Messenger in a position where he was able naturally and instinctively to identify with the plight of orphan children more than others. His teachings are therefore replete with the teachings and directives towards the orphan, of treating them with utmost kindness and compassion. The list of such teachings is lengthy and enumerating them in this brief article would be inappropriate. It is sufficient to quote but one saying of his: 'The home wherein the orphan is ill-treated is the worst home on earth.'

In the time of the Holy Messenger, there was hardly a home which had not taken in and adopted an orphan child. This was a normal practice in the society of his companions. Muslims should by virtue of the lofty examples and teachings of the Holy Messenger, be in the very frontline in efforts to secure the adoption and fostering of 'abandoned' children. In fact they aught to be setting the trend for the rest of society in this matter. At the least, it is expected of them to co-operate closely with groups and bodies that are promoting these efforts.

Due to the high standards of morality and conduct required of Muslims by their religious laws, Muslim homes and families are ideally positioned to imbue and impart these exhalted values to adopted children - values that will be of life long consequence to them. A word of caution to prospective adoption families though; the humanitarian and noble practice of adopting children should never be motivated by material or pecuniary interests or intensions at all. This will destroy and demolish the very spirit of this gracious deed, leaving it as a lifeless corpse.’
Source: Mufti Zubair Bayat, South Africa, (www.direct.za.org)

Below you can download a leaflet version of this webpage in PDF format.

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