Quran Verses about Adoption
Allah did not make adopted children into one's own children, and an adopted child is to be called by the name of his real father; if his father is unknown, he is a brother in faith. The verses tell of Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet's adopted son, who divorced his wife, after which Allah married the Prophet to her so that the believers would feel no difficulty in marrying the former wives of their adopted sons. Muhammad is not the father of any of their men, but the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets.
Adopted children are not one's own children and are called by their fathers' names
مَّا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِرَجُلٖ مِّن قَلۡبَيۡنِ فِي جَوۡفِهِۦۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزۡوَٰجَكُمُ ٱلَّٰٓـِٔي تُظَٰهِرُونَ مِنۡهُنَّ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدۡعِيَآءَكُمۡ أَبۡنَآءَكُمۡۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ قَوۡلُكُم بِأَفۡوَٰهِكُمۡۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَقُولُ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهۡدِي ٱلسَّبِيلَ ٤
Mā jaʿalallāhu lirajulim min qalbayni fī jawfih, wa mā jaʿala azwājakumul-lāʾī tuẓāhirūna minhunna ummahātikum, wa mā jaʿala adʿiyāʾakum abnāʾakum, dhālikum qawlukum biʾafwāhikum, wallāhu yaqūlul-ḥaqqa wa huwa yahdis-sabīl.
Allāh has not made for a man two hearts in his interior. And He has not made your wives whom you declare unlawful1 your mothers. And He has not made your claimed [i.e., adopted] sons your [true] sons. That is [merely] your saying by your mouths, but Allāh says the truth, and He guides to the [right] way.
Footnotes (1)
- By the expression "You are to me like the back of my mother." Such an oath taken against approaching one's wife was a pre-Islāmic practice declared by Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) to be a sin requiring expiation as described in 58:3-4.
ٱدۡعُوهُمۡ لِأٓبَآئِهِمۡ هُوَ أَقۡسَطُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِن لَّمۡ تَعۡلَمُوٓاْ ءَابَآءَهُمۡ فَإِخۡوَٰنُكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَمَوَٰلِيكُمۡۚ وَلَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٞ فِيمَآ أَخۡطَأۡتُم بِهِۦ وَلَٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتۡ قُلُوبُكُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمًا ٥
Udʿūhum liʾābāʾihim huwa aqsaṭu ʿindallāh, fa il lam taʿlamū ābāʾahum fa ikhwānukum fid-dīni wa mawālīkum, wa laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun fīmā akhṭaʾtum bihī wa lākim mā taʿammadat qulūbukum, wa kānallāhu ghafūrar raḥīmā.
Call them1 by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allāh. But if you do not know their fathers - then they are [still] your brothers in religion and those entrusted to you. And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended. And ever is Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.
Footnotes (1)
- Those children under your care.
The former wife of an adopted son, and the story of Zayd
حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أُمَّهَٰتُكُمۡ وَبَنَاتُكُمۡ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُمۡ وَعَمَّٰتُكُمۡ وَخَٰلَٰتُكُمۡ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلۡأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلۡأُخۡتِ وَأُمَّهَٰتُكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِيٓ أَرۡضَعۡنَكُمۡ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُم مِّنَ ٱلرَّضَٰعَةِ وَأُمَّهَٰتُ نِسَآئِكُمۡ وَرَبَٰٓئِبُكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِي فِي حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِي دَخَلۡتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمۡ تَكُونُواْ دَخَلۡتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَحَلَٰٓئِلُ أَبۡنَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنۡ أَصۡلَٰبِكُمۡ وَأَن تَجۡمَعُواْ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡأُخۡتَيۡنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدۡ سَلَفَۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا ٢٣
Ḥurrimat ʿalaykum ummahātukum wa banātukum wa akhawātukum wa ʿammātukum wa khālātukum wa banātul-akhi wa banātul-ukhti wa ummahātukumul-lātī arḍaʿnakum wa akhawātukum minar-raḍāʿati wa ummahātu nisāʾikum wa rabāʾibukumul-lātī fī ḥujūrikum min nisāʾikumul-lātī dakhaltum bihinna fa il lam takūnū dakhaltum bihinna falā junāḥa ʿalaykum wa ḥalāʾilu abnāʾikumul-ladhīna min aṣlābikum wa an tajmaʿū baynal-ukhtayni illā mā qad salaf, innallāha kāna ghafūrar raḥīmā.
Prohibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives' mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred.1 Indeed, Allāh is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
Footnotes (1)
- See previous footnote.
وَإِذۡ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِيٓ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَأَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِ أَمۡسِكۡ عَلَيۡكَ زَوۡجَكَ وَٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ وَتُخۡفِي فِي نَفۡسِكَ مَا ٱللَّهُ مُبۡدِيهِ وَتَخۡشَى ٱلنَّاسَ وَٱللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخۡشَىٰهُۖ فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ زَيۡدٞ مِّنۡهَا وَطَرٗا زَوَّجۡنَٰكَهَا لِكَيۡ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ حَرَجٞ فِيٓ أَزۡوَٰجِ أَدۡعِيَآئِهِمۡ إِذَا قَضَوۡاْ مِنۡهُنَّ وَطَرٗاۚ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُ ٱللَّهِ مَفۡعُولٗا ٣٧
Wa idh taqūlu lil-ladhī anʿamallāhu ʿalayhi wa anʿamta ʿalayhi amsik ʿalayka zawjaka wattaqillāha wa tukhfī fī nafsika mallāhu mubdīhi wa takhshan-nāsa wallāhu aḥaqqu an takhshāh, falammā qaḍā zaydum minhā waṭaran zawwajnākahā likay lā yakūna ʿalal-muʾminīna ḥarajun fī azwāji adʿiyāʾihim idhā qaḍaw minhunna waṭarā, wa kāna amrullāhi mafʿūlā.
And [remember, O Muḥammad], when you said to the one on whom Allāh bestowed favor and you bestowed favor,1 "Keep your wife and fear Allāh," while you concealed within yourself that which Allāh is to disclose.2 And you feared the people,3 while Allāh has more right that you fear Him.4 So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort [i.e., guilt] concerning the wives of their claimed [i.e., adopted] sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command [i.e., decree] of Allāh accomplished.
Footnotes (4)
- Referring to the Prophet's freed slave, Zayd bin Ḥārithah.
- i.e., Allāh's command to the Prophet (ﷺ) to marry Zaynab after Zayd divorced her. This was to demonstrate that a man may marry a woman formerly married to his adopted son.
- i.e., feared their saying that the Prophet (ﷺ) had married the (former) wife of his son (which is prohibited by Allāh in the case of a true, begotten son).
- By making known His command.
مَّا كَانَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّ مِنۡ حَرَجٖ فِيمَا فَرَضَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥۖ سُنَّةَ ٱللَّهِ فِي ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلُۚ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُ ٱللَّهِ قَدَرٗا مَّقۡدُورًا ٣٨
Mā kāna ʿalan-nabiyyi min ḥarajin fīmā faraḍallāhu lah, sunnatallāhi fil-ladhīna khalaw min qabl, wa kāna amrullāhi qadaram maqdūrā.
There is not to be upon the Prophet any discomfort concerning that which Allāh has imposed upon him.1 [This is] the established way of Allāh with those [prophets] who have passed on before. And ever is the command of Allāh a destiny decreed.
Footnotes (1)
- Or permitted to him.
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٖ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٗا ٤٠
Mā kāna muḥammadun abā aḥadim mir rijālikum wa lākir rasūlallāhi wa khātaman-nabiyyīn, wa kānallāhu bikulli shayʾin ʿalīmā.
Muḥammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allāh and seal [i.e., last] of the prophets. And ever is Allāh, of all things, Knowing.