Is it permissible to adopt in Islam if the child is nursed by the husband's or wife's sister?
If a child nurses from the husband's sister, she becomes his foster mother by suckling, and the husband becomes his foster maternal uncle. His children then become the child's foster maternal uncle's children. If a child nurses from the wife's sister, she becomes his foster mother by suckling, and the wife becomes his foster maternal aunt. Her children then become the child's foster maternal aunt's children. Fosterage entails rulings, among which is prohibition. So, a foster brother is forbidden to his foster sister, foster maternal aunt, and foster paternal aunt, and marriage to the aforementioned is invalid. However, he is not forbidden to the daughters of his foster maternal uncle and foster maternal aunt. Fosterage prohibits what lineage prohibits, but a foster child is only attributed to his biological father and does not inherit by fosterage. Adoption is forbidden in Islam, which is a man attributing to himself a child of unknown lineage, based on the Almighty's saying: "Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers, then they are your brothers in religion and your dependents."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/32163