Does the right of custody apply to adopted kids too?

· 18 Rajab 1445 AH1 min readFatwa 37001English

Question

As salaamu alaykum

I have a question regarding custody of children. My wife asks for a divorce from me. After few months of convincing her we don’t need to this way. But she didn’t agree. I have given her one talaq. That will end on December 29,2016. My question is that we adopted two kids and with a medication she breastfed the kids. I know if we had our own children I as a father will get the custody of my boys by 7 years old. Does this apply to these adopted kids too? Inshaa Allaah, please clarify this issue for me and may Allaah reward you, Aameen. Also, is it possible to provide proofs for whatever the answers are Inshaa Allaah.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The rights of custody that Shariah has stipulated are for legitimate children and not for adopted children.1 In the enquired scenario, since the milk is produced through medication, therefore upon breastfeeding your wife will become the foster mother of the child, however you will not be regarded as the foster father.2

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Huzaifah Deedat

Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

(2016-10-26)

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

1 وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءَكُمْ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُمْ بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِي السَّبِيلَ [الأحزاب: 4]

تفسير ابن كثير ط العلمية (6/ 336)

كَذَلِكَ لَا يَصِيرُ الدَّعِيُّ وَلَدًا لِلرَّجُلِ إِذَا تَبَنَّاهُ فَدَعَاهُ ابْنًا لَهُ، فَقَالَ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ وَما جَعَلَ أَزْواجَكُمُ اللَّائِي تُظاهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهاتِكُمْ كقوله عز وجل مَا هُنَّ أُمَّهاتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهاتُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّائِي وَلَدْنَهُمْ [المجادلة: 2] الآية. وقوله تعالى: وَما جَعَلَ أَدْعِياءَكُمْ أَبْناءَكُمْ هَذَا هُوَ الْمَقْصُودُ بِالنَّفْيِ

کفایت المفتی ص 267 جلد 5 دار الاشاعت

متبني بناے سے متبنئ کے لیےحقیقی اولاد کے احکام ثابت نہیں ہوتے

2 الفتاوى الهندية - ط. دار الفكر (1/ 344)

كذا في فتاوى قاضي خان بكر لم تتزوج لو نزل لها لبن فأرضعت صبيا صارت أما للصبي وتثبت جميع أحكام الرضاع بينهما حتى لو تزوجت البكر رجلا ثم طلقها قبل الدخول بها لهذا الزوج أن يتزوج الصبية وإن طلقها بعد الدخول لا يكون له أن يتزوجها كذا في خزانة المفتين

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار)- دار الفكر-بيروت (3/ 217)

قوله ولبن بكر) المراد بها التي لم تجامع قط بنكاح أو سفاح وإن كانت العذرة غير باقية كأن زالت بنحو وثبة حموي والحرمة لا تتعدى إلى زوجها، حتى لو طلقها قبل الدخول له التزوج برضيعتها لأن اللبن ليس منه قهستاني ط؛ أما لو طلقها بعد الدخول فليس له التزوج بالرضيعة لأنها صارت من الربائب التي دخل بأمها بحر عن الخانية

Answered by
Huzaifah Deedat
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

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