Very disturbing

[USResident]

Re: Very disturbing

I have no idea why I am replying because I know you will run from the thread anyway.

@Tariq_Akhtar

Very clearly, the customs and standards followed at that time were very different. This is yet another reason why islam has to be updated. Specifically:

1. Adoption is a very great service that makes both parties happier and better. It is very legal and in fact promoted by most countries with incentives. islam should make this change in itself.

2. By contemporary standards marrying daughter-in-law is incestual and from the fact that she divorced indicates it was so even then. I guess the divorce makes it not so bad but if people don’t feel distasteful about this, there is something with them. Even marrying cousins, while not illegal or incestual, is certainly a bad practice as it leads to major health problems for immediate and/or future offsprings. Unfortunately this happens not infrequently and not just among muslims. I wish all religions will update themselves and discourage this.

Adoption is not forbidden in Islam. And as you said, it is a service and that is exactly what it is in Islam. Adopted children have different rights as compared to biological chhildren. There are many other ways or channels in Islam to offset any defficiencies adopted children might have.

Contemporary standards do not matter in front of divine standards. What the Prophet SAW did was simply demonstrate and abolish a social practice that had simply taken religious proportions. Just the fact that he SAW did something does not mean it is encouraged but it means it is permissible. The social consequences of it change from time to time. It is a non-issue and very rare in todays world anyway.

The example just serves to demonstrate that in the eyes of Allah SWT we would not be crossing boundaries if anyone ever ended up in such a circumstance. What is socially acceptable is different from culture to culture and best to respect it as well. Social practices which do not bring merit die down eventually by themselves as is demonstrated in this very case. So as I said before it is a non-issue.