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Fatwa CenterSingle woman adopting a child
Question
After 12 years of marriage my husband and I got divorced. Many factors lead to this decision one of which was the issue of his fertility treatment in which he was never interested. I am back in UK now. Its been 5 years. I have a decent job and I can support myself. I tried to get married again but maybe due to my age I am finding it hard to find a partner. I always wanted to have children and raise them as a Muslim . I thought of adopting a child. Alhamdulillah I have means and energy to provide a needy child a loving home but I have been told that islamically its not permissible for a single person to adopt a child. Please advise me on the matter.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Adoption is absolutely forbidden, whether the adoption is by a married or single person. Please refer to Fataawa 82371 and 84422. However, it is permissible to look after and support a child. This is even rewarded if one intends to draw him/herself closer to Allaah by doing so and meets the sharee’ah requirements for that.
Hence, if you are able to look after a child, you may do so; and the child should preferably be a female, since a male child becomes a non-Mahram (marriageable) for you when he reaches puberty, at which stage it will be awkward for you to deal with him, since a woman is not permitted to be in seclusion with a non-Mahram man.
Moreover, if you employ a servant to look after the child when you are away at work, then choose a Muslim maidservant who is religious and moral, so that she will bring up the child to observe the creed and morals of Islam.
Allaah Knows best.
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