Asalaam Aleikum Wa Rahmatallah wa Barakatu

1) I have read that it is permissible for a married couple to raise a child that has been breast fed at least 5 times by the wife before it is two years old. That would create a special relationship (of being mahram) between the child and the couple, plus the couple's other children, so that veiling would not be an issue. Is this acceptable as long as the child does not take on the family name and is aware that it is not the biological child of the couple?

2)Does this relationship count if a woman's sister breastfeeds a male baby 5 times so that the woman, as an aunt, does not have to veil infront of the boy, nor do her daughters have to veil infront of him? Or maybe a man's sister breastfeeds his "adopted" child so that his wife wouldn't have to veil infront of it?

3) I have noticed a general dislike among Muslims for adopting children even though Rasoolullah (pbuh) was "adopted." Most of the explanations I have recieved when I ask about this are cultural, such as "We wouldn't know who the true parents are and they may be bad people, non-Muslims, or other undesireables" I realize that in an Islamic society, ideally, blood relatives should take on the role of raising orphaned children. But this is not always possible. Is there anything haraam about raising a child who is unrelated to you, especially if you don't know who the birth parents are? Also, if this is the case, what name should be given to the child?

4) If, based on the constraints that a child must not take on the name of the non-relatives who raise it, and that it is breast fed 5 times before the age of 2, then is the relationship between the couple and the child considered "adoptive?" As long as the child knows that the couple is not the true birth parents then can she/he call them mom and dad?

Jazakallah Khair

Asalaam Aleikam:
I posted this message nearly two months ago. I'm sure that if I had asked about the legitimacy of hijaab or niqaab I would have received copious responses of people showing off how many hadeeths and fatwas they can quote about the matter. This is apparent to me because of the popularity of other message board questions in regard to veiling and the like. Is adoption any less important? I've really looked around for an answer to this and I assumed that I would receive appropriately conservative opinions on what people have heard or read about adoption. Please respond, Inshallah

Wa Salaam

In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficient, The Most Merciful.

In Islam we are not meant to follow our desires and we are not permitted to form our own opinions. Rather, we are to follow the Messenger(SAW) and be in total submission to that.

If indeed you are after the truth, then you should seek the knowledge of the Scholars in these matters and not from total strangers on the internet. Islam is not something open to debate, where people can make up and decide their own Islam.

So, no. Adoption (and any topic) is not less important. It is those who have knowledge who will be able to respond. So go and ask the Scholars if you sincerely want the truth.

Alhamdullilah.

Asalaam Aleikum

Jazakallah Khair for your heart-felt response, but actually Islam IS open for legitimate debate and posing of opinion. That is why Islam allows for jurisprudic differences in opinion. Such debate occurs within the five mazhabs, for example, over what time one should pray Asr, whether one should wipe or wash the feet during Wudhu, and other important topics. I was soliciting opinion AS WELL AS scholarly knowledge on the issue. By the way, I HAVE consulted scholarly opinions on the subject, but that is not to say that I have learned about adoption in such a comprehensive way as to not inquire further about the subject---as I have done here.
My posting, like others on this message board (which touch on topics ranging from female circumcision to polygyny) is merely a call for dialogue.
The sisters who read the postings here are not total strangers over the internet, they are fellow Muslimas, Inshallah, and I welcome dialogue with them. But alas-I still have no useful responses to the original question. As always, Allahu Ahlam, Allah knows best.

Wa Salaam