What are the specific requirements, according to Islam? At what age should the orphan be told that s/he is not the biological child?
This is what i got off of some website - not certain how accurate it is (because i was too tired to read all of it:o ). http://www.iica.org/invitation/adoption.html The article states that the Shari’ah “will not confer on the adopted person the status or rights of a natural son or daughter”. Does this apply to inheritance as well?
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…] There is no legal adoption in Shari’ah (Islamic law). It is haram (prohibited) for a person to legally adopt a son or a daughter of whom he is not the natural father. If a person adopts a son or a daughter, the Shari’ah will not confer on the adopted person the status or rights of a natural son or daughter. According to the Qur’an, if a person is not someone’s real son, he does not become his natural son merely by virtue of a declaration:
"… Nor has He made your adopted sons your (real) sons; that is simply a saying of your mouths. But A11ah speaks the truth, and He guides you to the (right way). Call them by (the names of their fathers; that is more just in the sight of A11ah. But if you do not know their fathers, they are your brothers-in-faith and your wards… " (Quran 33:4-5)
…] “Adoption” is also used in another sense. This use of adoption is not prohibited by Islam - that is, when a man brings home an orphan (yateem) and wants to raise, to educate, and to treat as his own child. In this case, he protects, feeds, clothes, teaches, and loves the child as his own without attributing the child to him- self, nor does he give him or her the rights which the Shari’ah reserves for natural children. This is a meritorious and noteworthy act in Islam, and the man who does it will be rewarded by being admitted to Paradise or Heaven. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said once,
"I and the one who raises an orphan, will be like these two in the Garden ", and he pointed to his middle and index fingers with a slight gap between the two.
There are also numerous Qur’anic revelations that support the taking care of orphans and enough cannot be said about how much Allah likes this noble and charitable act (Qur’an 2:220; 4:2, 6, 10, 127; 17:34).
A foundling or abandoned child (laqeet) is also regarded as an orphan, and one may apply the term ‘wayfarer’ (ibn al-sabeel) to him as well. In this case too, as in the orphans, the child’s lineal identity must be unchanged and parenthood to the natural parents should not be denied. When the child’s parents are unknown, they must be made brethren in faith and clients of their fellow Muslims (Qur’an 33:4-5).
If a man is childless and has no children of his own, and he wishes to benefit such a child (orphan or foundling) from his wealth, he may give him whatever he wants during his lifetime.