Rulings and Guidance on Adoption (Mutabanna) in Islamic Teachings: A Quranic and Prophetic Perspective
Keywords:
Islamic adoption, Mutabanna, Quranic rulings, Prophetic guidance, Zaid bin Haritha, lineage preservation, kafala, inheritance rights, orphan care, social justice.Abstract
This study explored adoption (Mutabanna) in Islamic teachings, analyzing Qur’anic rulings and Prophetic guidance that reformed pre-Islamic adoption practices. Prior to Islam, Arabs treated adopted children as equivalent to biological offspring, granting them inheritance rights and attributing lineage to their adoptive parents. This led to legal and social complications, including inheritance disputes and identity confusion. The Qur’an (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:4–5) abolished these customs, commanding that adopted children be attributed to their biological fathers or considered brothers in faith if their lineage was unknown.
The study examined Ahadith and historical incidents, particularly the case of Zaid bin Haritha (RA) and the Prophet’s marriage to Zainab bint Jahsh (RA), to demonstrate that adopted sons were not equivalent to biological ones. Islam permitted guardianship but prohibited the alteration of lineage or inheritance rights. False attribution of lineage was identified as a major sin with severe consequences in the afterlife.
Findings confirmed that Islam balanced caregiving with legal clarity, ensuring that orphans and abandoned children received love and financial support without disrupting lineage. Unlike Western adoption, Islamic Kafala (sponsorship) allowed care while preserving biological ties. The study highlighted that Islamic adoption laws promoted social justice, familial integrity, and divine wisdom, providing a structured system for caregiving that aligned compassion with justice.