IIIT-FCNA Fiqh Forum on Adoption and Orphan Care

Abstract

On April 13, 2017, the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) andthe Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) brought jurists, scholars, and professionalsin the field to share their latest research on the topic of adoptionand orphan care. The day-long forum, held at the IIIT headquarters in Herndon,VA, featured one concept paper and five panels.The opening session featured Zainab Alwani (vice chair, FCNA; programdirector, Fiqh Forum on Adoption and Orphan Care; founding director, Islamicstudies, Howard University School of Divinity), who spoke on “Orphan Carein the Qur’an and Sunnah: Critical Reading on Adoption and Kafala.” Statingthat she is providing a framework – not a solution – grounded in the Qur’anand Sunnah, she discussed why the number of orphans and abandoned childrenhas reached an all-time high; why Muslim Americans are reluctant toadopt them; and such concerns as the un-Islamic nature of the American legalsystem and the ensuring legal, cultural, and linguistic problems. She stressedthat taking care of these children is an ethical/moral issue and reminded theaudience of the biographies of Musa, Yusuf, Muhammad, and Maryam, all ofwhom were raised by people who were not their biological parents, and theimportance of the family structure. In closing, she recommended that Muslimsrevive the collective spirit of caring for orphans, work with lawyers to deriveSharia-compliant solutions, integrate these children into our communities, andreconsider some traditional fiqhī concepts (e.g., brother and mawlā). AbubakerAl-Shingieti (executive director, IIIT) chaired.Panel 1, “Voices from the Field,” opened with Ranya Shbeib (co-founder,Muslim Foster Care Association; https://www.muslimfostercare.org), who focusedon meeting orphans’ immediate needs and provide family support. Herorganization works hard to achieve these twin goals and to raise local communityawareness by a four-step process: making a presentation, providingthe relevant orientation, giving practical training, and actually receiving thechild. After each step, unfortunately, the number of interested people declines ...