Can I adopt a child as a Muslim?
Yes. Caring for an orphan or a child in need is one of the most rewarded acts in Islam. The Islamic form, called kafala, is a lot like adoption, with one key difference: the child keeps their original family name and lineage. Some rules about inheritance and modesty also apply as the child grows up.
A huge reward
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this," putting his index and middle fingers together (Sahih al-Bukhari 6005).
Raising a child who needs a home is a form of worship.
Keeping the child's lineage
In Islam, a child you raise doesn't legally become your biological child. They keep their birth father's name where it's known, so their true identity, rights and family ties are preserved. If the father is unknown, the same verse calls them your "brothers in religion."
What this means in practice
- Name: many scholars say the child should keep their own surname, or at least know their origins. Legal adoption in Western countries usually changes the surname; ask a scholar how to handle it.
- Honesty: tell the child they're adopted, in an age-appropriate way.
- Inheritance: the child doesn't inherit automatically under Islamic rules, but you can leave them up to one third of your estate in your will, or give gifts during your life.
- Modesty: when the child reaches puberty, rules of covering apply between them and adoptive parents of the opposite sex.
The breastfeeding option
If an adoptive mother, or her sister, breastfeeds the baby enough times before age two, the child becomes a milk relative. That makes them mahram, so modesty rules relax. Some adoptive mothers induce lactation for this reason. Ask a scholar about the details.
Fostering and adoption in the West
Many Muslim children in care in the UK, Europe and the USA need Muslim foster or adoptive families. Agencies often welcome Muslim applicants. For related family questions, see Do my children have to become Muslim if I do?
- Caring for orphans is highly rewarded.
- The child keeps their original lineage.
- You can leave them up to a third of your estate.
- Breastfeeding before age two can make them mahram.
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