Why Adopting a Non-Muslim Child is Not Haram in Islam
C.J Ahmed-10.05.2023
Islam is a very easy religion to follow and adopting a non-Muslim child is not forbidden in the religion of Islam.
Here are the proofs on why adopting a child is not haram,
1. The Adoption of Salim (rali)
Salim mawla bin Hudayfah was a companion who was adopted by Hudayfah (rali) and his adoption was not forbidden by the prophet (sal). If adopting a child is haram then the prophet (sal) would have forbidden it. Now the argument about khulwa (free mixing of men and women) is one of the central arguments that have been used to forbid adoption in Islam. The issue of men and women mixing is answered in the third solution in this article. I would like to quote some hadiths on Salim (rali)'s adoption and the solution offered by the prophet (sal).
Aisha (rali) reported that Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hadhaifa, lived with him and his family in their house. She (i. e. the daughter of Suhail came to Allah's Apostle (sal) and said: Salim has attained (puberty) as men attain, and he understands what they understand, and he enters our house freely, I, however, perceive that something (rankles) in the heart of Abu Hudhaifa, whereupon Allah's Apostle (sal) said to her: suckle him and you would become unlawful for him(become mahram), and (the rankling) which Abu Hudhaifa feels in his heart will disappear. She returned and said: So I suckled him, and what (was there) in the heart of Abu Hudhaifa disappeared."
(Sahih Muslim)
Umm Salama said to 'Aisha (rali): A young boy who is at the threshold of puberty comes to you. I, however, do not like that he should come to me, whereupon 'Aisha (rali) said: Don't you see in Allah's Messenger (sal) a model for you? She also said: The wife of Abu Hudhaifa said: Messenger of Allah, Salim comes to me and now he is a (grown-up) person, and there is something that (rankles) in the mind of Abu Hudhaifa about him, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: suckle him (so that he may become your foster-child), and thus he may be able to come to you (freely)."
(Sahih Muslim)
In this hadith the wife of Hudayfah (rali) came and asked the prophet (sal) that Salim (rali) had attained puberty and she mentioned about the practical issue she and her husband where facing in keeping Salim in their house. The prophet (sal) even in such a scenario never forbade Salim (rali) from entering the house of Hudayfah (rali) and his wife. Instead he gave a solution specific to this issue by telling Sahlah (rali) to suckle him so that he can go freely in to their house. In another hadith the prophet (sal) smiled and laughed when advising her to give milk.
Aisha (rali) reported that Sahlah bint Suhail came to Allah's Apostle (sal) and said:
Messenger of Allah, I see on the face of Abu Hudhaifa (signs of disgust) on entering of Salim (who is an ally) into (our house), whereupon Allah's Apostle (sal) said: Suckle him. She said: How can I suckle him as he is a grown-up man? Allah's Messenger (sal) smiled and said: I already know that he is a young man 'Amr has made this addition in his narration that he participated in the Battle of Badr and in the narration of Ibn 'Umar (the words are): Allah's Messenger (sal) laughed."
(Sahih Muslim)
These hadiths are clearly authentic hadiths but deviants have rejected these hadiths arguing that these hadiths tell to suckle the nipple of a woman. Nowhere in these hadiths does it say to suckle through the nipple and is based on an assumption. The important thing that needs to be understood here is that no relationship is established through suckling after two years and this incident is only an exception to Hudayfah (rali)'s wife and not others. A relationship is established only if the breast feeding was done for a person before two years which is before the weaning period.
Narrated Umm Salamah (rali):
Allah's Messenger (sal) said: "The suckling that makes marriage unlawful is that which reaches the intestines (i.e. nourishes the child), and is taken before (two years) time of weaning."
(Tirmidhi-graded sahih by imam Hakim)
Allah (swt) says in the Quran,
"And we have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years"
(Al Quran-31:14)
Narrated by Aisha (rali),
"The prophet (sal) entered upon her while a man was sitting with her. Signs of answer seemed to appear on his face as if he disliked that. She said, "Here is my (foster) brother." He said, "Be sure as to who is your foster brother, for foster suckling relationship is established only when milk is the only food of the child."
(Bukhari)
Foster relationship is established only if the suckling was done before two years of a child and there must be at least five full sucks.
Aisha (rali) reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur'an that ten clear suckling make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five suckling and Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims).
(Sahih Muslim)
The incident of Salim (rali) was an exception because there are many authentic hadiths establishing that the law of foster relationship is only established before the weaning period of a child which is two years and the suckling should be a minimum five suckling’s. There is nothing wrong in drinking a woman’s breast milk even if you are an adult but the foster relationship is established only before the weaning period.
2. The prophet (sal) adopted Zayd ibn Harithah (rali)
the prophet (sal) too adopted Zaid (rali) and the general custom back then was to call the adopted child by the name of the adopted person and this was later forbidden in Islam. In Islam the adopted child has to be attributed to his real biological father. The following hadiths explain this.
Narrated by Abdullah bin `Umar (rali),
"We used not to call Zaid bin Haritha the freed slave of Allah's Messenger (sal) except Zaid bin Muhammad till the Quranic Verse was revealed: "Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers. That is more than just in the Sight of Allah." (33:5)"
(Bukhari)
Narrated by Aisha(rali),
Abu Hudhaifa, one of those who fought the battle of Badr, with Allah's Apostle adopted Salim as his son and married his niece Hind bint Al-Wahd bin `Utba to him' and Salim was a freed slave of an Ansari woman. Allah's Messenger (sal) also adopted Zaid as his son. In the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance the custom was that, if one adopted a son, the people would call him by the name of the adopted-father whom he would inherit as well, till Allah revealed: "Call them (adopted sons) By (the names of) their fathers." (33:5)"
(Bukhari)
The verse 33 of of chapter 5 was revealed by Allah (swt) ordering to call the adopted sons by the names of their true father. The verse in the Quran forbade only attributing your name to the child and not adoption itself.
In conclusion, adopting a child irrespective of whether the child is a Muslim or a non-Muslim is halal in Islam. Every child is born a Muslim and it is its parents that turn it in to a disbeliever. Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No child is born but that he is upon natural instinct. His parents make him a Jew, or a Christian, or Magian. As an animal delivers a child with limbs intact, do you detect any flaw?” Then, Abu Huraira recited the verse, “The nature of Allah upon which he has set people,” (30:30) (Bukhari and Muslim)
Islam is a very easy religion to follow and adopting a non-Muslim child is not forbidden in the religion of Islam.
Here are the proofs on why adopting a child is not haram,
1. The Adoption of Salim (rali)
Salim mawla bin Hudayfah was a companion who was adopted by Hudayfah (rali) and his adoption was not forbidden by the prophet (sal). If adopting a child is haram then the prophet (sal) would have forbidden it. Now the argument about khulwa (free mixing of men and women) is one of the central arguments that have been used to forbid adoption in Islam. The issue of men and women mixing is answered in the third solution in this article. I would like to quote some hadiths on Salim (rali)'s adoption and the solution offered by the prophet (sal).
Aisha (rali) reported that Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hadhaifa, lived with him and his family in their house. She (i. e. the daughter of Suhail came to Allah's Apostle (sal) and said: Salim has attained (puberty) as men attain, and he understands what they understand, and he enters our house freely, I, however, perceive that something (rankles) in the heart of Abu Hudhaifa, whereupon Allah's Apostle (sal) said to her: suckle him and you would become unlawful for him(become mahram), and (the rankling) which Abu Hudhaifa feels in his heart will disappear. She returned and said: So I suckled him, and what (was there) in the heart of Abu Hudhaifa disappeared."
(Sahih Muslim)
Umm Salama said to 'Aisha (rali): A young boy who is at the threshold of puberty comes to you. I, however, do not like that he should come to me, whereupon 'Aisha (rali) said: Don't you see in Allah's Messenger (sal) a model for you? She also said: The wife of Abu Hudhaifa said: Messenger of Allah, Salim comes to me and now he is a (grown-up) person, and there is something that (rankles) in the mind of Abu Hudhaifa about him, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: suckle him (so that he may become your foster-child), and thus he may be able to come to you (freely)."
(Sahih Muslim)
In this hadith the wife of Hudayfah (rali) came and asked the prophet (sal) that Salim (rali) had attained puberty and she mentioned about the practical issue she and her husband where facing in keeping Salim in their house. The prophet (sal) even in such a scenario never forbade Salim (rali) from entering the house of Hudayfah (rali) and his wife. Instead he gave a solution specific to this issue by telling Sahlah (rali) to suckle him so that he can go freely in to their house. In another hadith the prophet (sal) smiled and laughed when advising her to give milk.
Aisha (rali) reported that Sahlah bint Suhail came to Allah's Apostle (sal) and said:
Messenger of Allah, I see on the face of Abu Hudhaifa (signs of disgust) on entering of Salim (who is an ally) into (our house), whereupon Allah's Apostle (sal) said: Suckle him. She said: How can I suckle him as he is a grown-up man? Allah's Messenger (sal) smiled and said: I already know that he is a young man 'Amr has made this addition in his narration that he participated in the Battle of Badr and in the narration of Ibn 'Umar (the words are): Allah's Messenger (sal) laughed."
(Sahih Muslim)
These hadiths are clearly authentic hadiths but deviants have rejected these hadiths arguing that these hadiths tell to suckle the nipple of a woman. Nowhere in these hadiths does it say to suckle through the nipple and is based on an assumption. The important thing that needs to be understood here is that no relationship is established through suckling after two years and this incident is only an exception to Hudayfah (rali)'s wife and not others. A relationship is established only if the breast feeding was done for a person before two years which is before the weaning period.
Narrated Umm Salamah (rali):
Allah's Messenger (sal) said: "The suckling that makes marriage unlawful is that which reaches the intestines (i.e. nourishes the child), and is taken before (two years) time of weaning."
(Tirmidhi-graded sahih by imam Hakim)
Allah (swt) says in the Quran,
"And we have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years"
(Al Quran-31:14)
Narrated by Aisha (rali),
"The prophet (sal) entered upon her while a man was sitting with her. Signs of answer seemed to appear on his face as if he disliked that. She said, "Here is my (foster) brother." He said, "Be sure as to who is your foster brother, for foster suckling relationship is established only when milk is the only food of the child."
(Bukhari)
Foster relationship is established only if the suckling was done before two years of a child and there must be at least five full sucks.
Aisha (rali) reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur'an that ten clear suckling make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five suckling and Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims).
(Sahih Muslim)
The incident of Salim (rali) was an exception because there are many authentic hadiths establishing that the law of foster relationship is only established before the weaning period of a child which is two years and the suckling should be a minimum five suckling’s. There is nothing wrong in drinking a woman’s breast milk even if you are an adult but the foster relationship is established only before the weaning period.
2. The prophet (sal) adopted Zayd ibn Harithah (rali)
the prophet (sal) too adopted Zaid (rali) and the general custom back then was to call the adopted child by the name of the adopted person and this was later forbidden in Islam. In Islam the adopted child has to be attributed to his real biological father. The following hadiths explain this.
Narrated by Abdullah bin `Umar (rali),
"We used not to call Zaid bin Haritha the freed slave of Allah's Messenger (sal) except Zaid bin Muhammad till the Quranic Verse was revealed: "Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers. That is more than just in the Sight of Allah." (33:5)"
(Bukhari)
Narrated by Aisha(rali),
Abu Hudhaifa, one of those who fought the battle of Badr, with Allah's Apostle adopted Salim as his son and married his niece Hind bint Al-Wahd bin `Utba to him' and Salim was a freed slave of an Ansari woman. Allah's Messenger (sal) also adopted Zaid as his son. In the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance the custom was that, if one adopted a son, the people would call him by the name of the adopted-father whom he would inherit as well, till Allah revealed: "Call them (adopted sons) By (the names of) their fathers." (33:5)"
(Bukhari)
The verse 33 of of chapter 5 was revealed by Allah (swt) ordering to call the adopted sons by the names of their true father. The verse in the Quran forbade only attributing your name to the child and not adoption itself.
In conclusion, adopting a child irrespective of whether the child is a Muslim or a non-Muslim is halal in Islam. Every child is born a Muslim and it is its parents that turn it in to a disbeliever. Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No child is born but that he is upon natural instinct. His parents make him a Jew, or a Christian, or Magian. As an animal delivers a child with limbs intact, do you detect any flaw?” Then, Abu Huraira recited the verse, “The nature of Allah upon which he has set people,” (30:30) (Bukhari and Muslim)