There is a world in which wars, poverty, displacement, and inequality dominate the horizon. Orphanhood has reached a crisis point. Millions of children across the planet are denied parental love, emotional security, and basic human dignity. These are not only victims of material poverty but also moral abandonment, where society does not see its responsibility towards them to safeguard and protect them. Under these circumstances, adoption is no longer a personal choice; it is a profound human gesture to human suffering.

Adoption, in broad terms, is the legal and emotional process of taking into a family a parentless or abandoned child and providing them with the love, care, and support they are entitled to. But in Islam, the idea assumes a unique form called kafālah, or guardianship/sponsorship. Unlike Western adoption law, kafālah preserves the child's biological origins while bestowing on the guardian a profound moral and social obligation toward the child's upbringing, well-being, and education.

This poses an important ethical question: Is adoption just a matter of a voluntary act of charity, or is Islam considering it as an ethical and humanitarian obligation necessary in a fair society? The solution is found in the Islamic ethical system, where compassion (raḥmah), responsibility towards society (mas'ūliyyah ijtimā'iyyah), and justice (adl) are the pillars of human conduct.

This piece will attempt to discuss adoption on this ethical plane, not as charity, but as a moral duty that encompasses the essence of Islam. For Islam, taking care of orphans through kafālah is not a charitable act, but a deeply humanitarian responsibility with its foundations in compassion, justice, and a moral vision for an empathetic society.

The Humanitarian Crisis and the Moral Need for Adoption

The contemporary world is beset by a profound humanitarian crisis characterized by poverty, war, natural catastrophes, and social breakdown, all of which have deprived millions of children of parental care and protection. International accounts estimate that millions of orphans subsist without secure families, food security, or emotional nurturing. Many are subjected to exploitation, homelessness, or psychological trauma resulting from neglect. This international phenomenon is not just a social issue but a moral dilemma: how should humanity react to the quiet pain of the most vulnerable?

In the Islamic philosophy, the protection of orphans and foundlings is not a voluntary charity; it is a moral obligation deeply embedded in the meaning of raḥmah, mercy. The Qur'an insists again and again on believers to vindicate the rights of the orphans, safeguarding them from injustice and neglect. Allah states:

وَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ

"So, with the orphan, don't oppress him, and as for the beggar, don't drive him away."(Qur'an 93:9–10)

Likewise, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ raised the care of orphans to a heavenly level when he declared:

"The person who takes care of an orphan and I will be in Paradise like this," and he placed his two fingers together (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī).

These teachings demonstrate that adoption and guardianship in Islam are continuations of God's compassion. They translate personal generosity into an extended humanitarian code that advances the moral cohesion of society. Caring for orphans, therefore, is not only a matter of religious obligation but also one of restoring human dignity and social harmony. Treating orphanhood through kafālah is, therefore, an act of faith and a moral answer to humanity's shared responsibility.

Defining Adoption and Kafālah in the Islamic Context

In modern society, adoption is typically defined as the legal procedure for permanently transferring parental rights and responsibilities from biological parents to adoptive parents. This procedure typically involves naming the child with the surname of the adoptive family and conferring full rights of inheritance. But in Islam, though the ethical content of caring for orphans is greatly valued, the judicial framework of adoption diverges sharply from the Western one. The Islamic substitute, kafālah, presents an approach that safeguards both empathy and equity.

Kafālah has been literally translated as sponsorship, protection, or guardianship. It is the moral and social obligation taken by a guardian to look after a child's physical, emotional, and educational well-being without changing the child's birth lineage. The Qur'an specifically cautions against confusing or concealing someone's biological lineage:

لَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَبْنَاءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ تَدَّعُونَهُمْ وَقَدْ قُلْتُم بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ مَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ وَيَهْدِي السَّبِيلَ فَادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ ذَلِكُمْ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

"Allah has not made your adopted sons your true sons. That is merely you’re saying with your mouths, but Allah says the truth and He guides to the right way. Call them by [the names of] their fathers; that is more just in the sight of Allah." (Qur'an 33:4–5)

This surah was disclosed in the backdrop of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his foster son Zayd ibn Ḥārithah. While the Prophet ﷺ brought up Zayd with great love and concern, Islam did not alter his lineage to Zayd ibn Muhammad but kept it as Zayd ibn Ḥārithah. It shows that Islam protects the identity of the child while ensuring love, care, and moral accountability.

The aim of kafālah is not legal ownership but moral guardianship. It preserves a child's rights to inheritance, identity, and dignity while enjoying parental love and protection. Essentially, kafālah converts mercy into organized social care, maintaining justice adl while promoting mercy raḥmah. It fills the gap between legal order and moral feeling, demonstrating that Islam's care for orphans is not merely an emotional act of mercy but a conscious ethical system based on God's wisdom.

Compassion as the Core of Humanitarian Ethics in Islam

Compassion is at the core of Islamic moral philosophy. It is not an emotion but a divine virtue that informs the moral behavior of believers and the ethical framework of society. The Qur'an also refers to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as "a mercy to the worlds" (Qur'an 21:107), making compassion the foundation of Islamic humanitarian ethics. Compassion goes beyond sympathy; it requires active engagement in alleviating others' suffering and restoring their dignity.

Adoption and kafālah in this perspective are not gestures of benevolence but demonstrations of raḥmah in action. By providing for orphans, the faithful reproduce God's mercy, externalizing individual virtue into collective duty. The Prophet ﷺ embodied this ethical ideal in his daily existence, feeding the hungry, comforting the troubled, and showing affection to children. His mercy was open and functional, geared towards creating a society where no individual would feel abandoned or unloved.

Compassion in Islam is itself connected to justice ('adl). Real mercy has to operate within the limits of fairness, so that care in the emotional sense never violates legal or ethical principles. This justice is exactly what kafālah enacts, showering children with love and protection without negating their paternity or identity. So, raḥmah in Islam is rational and emotional; it demands prudent, systematic care that enhances the individual and reinforces the moral cohesion of society.

Through the practice of compassion in kafālah, Muslims achieve a greater humanitarian goal, making divine mercy active in the form of social action. It is through this that religion goes beyond mere ritual, enacting the Prophet's ﷺ teaching of mercy, membership, and ethical responsibility.

Social Responsibility and the Ethics of Community Care

Islam imagines human society as an ethical community where all individuals bear responsibility for the well-being of one another. This ethics of mas'ūliyyah ijtimā'iyyah (social responsibility) is firmly rooted in the Qur'anic and Sunnah teachings. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated:

"Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you will be asked about his flock." (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

This deep reflection underlies the moral framework of social care that each individual, irrespective of wealth or status, has a responsibility toward those within their power and amongst their community.

Under this scheme, adoption or kafālah is not merely an individual option but a social responsibility (farḍ kifāyah) on the part of the community. It is the moral reaction of society to human frailty. The Qur'an consistently associates faith with social duty and reinforces acts of charity towards orphans, widows, and poor people:

لا البِرَّ أن تولوا وجوهكم قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ

"Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or that you turn your faces west, but righteousness is in one who believes in Allah and gives wealth, despite love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, and those who ask for help." (Qur'an 2:177)

Through kafālah and adoption, the community restores honor, provides belonging, and nurtures the moral fabric damaged by abandonment. A culture that does its part for orphans realizes Islam's dream of compassion, justice, and shared responsibility.

Balancing Law and Compassion: Toward a Humanitarian Model of Kafālah

One of the striking features of Islamic ethics of adoption is the neat equilibrium it strikes between principles of law and moral benevolence. While the Qur'an and Hadith impose a duty to care for orphans, Islam at the same time secures the child's family background, right of inheritance, and identity. That equilibrium guarantees that mercy does not sacrifice justice ('adl), pointing out that pure humanitarianism needs to uphold both moral and legal standards.

Kafālah is such an example of harmony. Guardianship gives children love, shelter, education, and psychological support, and yet maintains their biological identity. The Qur'an explicitly says:

فَادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ ذَلِكُمْ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

"Call them by the names of their fathers; that is more just in the sight of Allah."(Qur'an 33:5).

Contemporary Muslim nations like Morocco, Malaysia, and Indonesia have developed kafālah programs fusing guardianship and social support networks. These programs illustrate that adoption in Islam can serve as a humanitarian model balancing law, ethics, and compassion.

Islam invites believers not only to see adoption as charity but as organized social reform, converting individual care into a public humanitarian duty. Kafālah demonstrates that love, justice, and social responsibility can come together to deliver long-term protection and moral guidance for orphan children.

Adoption by kafālah is perhaps the most eloquent manifestation of Islamic humanitarian ethics. Rather than an act of mere beneficence, it is a moral obligation that encompasses compassion (raḥmah), justice ('adl), and civic responsibility (mas'ūliyyah ijtimā'iyyah). In taking care of orphans and abandoned children, Muslims are observing a spiritual obligation and, at the same time, meeting essential social needs, reestablishing dignity and security for society's most vulnerable members.

Islamic teachings present an extensive framework for this care. The Qur'an and Sunnah insist on both the safeguarding of children's rights and the ethical duty of guardians. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was a model of this balance, demonstrating that real compassion must always harmonize with justice and reverence for the child's identity. Kafālah maintains lineages, guarantees emotional and material care, and facilitates integration into society, representing a highly developed ethical system that converts mercy into systematic social action.

In today’s world, where orphanhood, social neglect, and humanitarian crises are widespread, adopting the spirit of kafālah becomes more urgent than ever. It is not only a personal or family duty but a collective moral obligation, fostering a compassionate and just society. As the Qur’an reminds us:

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا

"They provide sustenance, despite affection for it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, saying, 'We feed you merely for the sake of Allah's face; we do not desire from you any reward or thanks.' (Qur'an 76:8–9)

Therefore, kafālah represents the very spirit of Islam's vision of humanity taking personal care to a social commitment and converting the compassion of God into concrete acts that heal children and communities.

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References:

• Al-Qur’an. (n.d.). The Holy Qur’an (Trans. M. Khan & M. al-Hilali). Riyadh: Darussalam.
• Verses cited: Qur’an 2:177, 33:4–5, 76:8–9, 93:9–10, 21:107.
• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Trans. M. Muhsin Khan). Riyadh: Darussalam.
• Hadith cited: “The one who cares for an orphan and I will be in Paradise like this,” Vol. 2, Book 24, Hadith 499.
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