Title: Is an Adopted Child Mehram for the Adopting Parents? Question: Please answer the following questions with reference to adoption: What has Qur'an said about the adoption of a child (Boy)? What is Mehram & Ghair Mehram for a woman when she adopts a child? Can we use our name with child name instead of his father's name. Kindly explain all in the light of Quran. Masood Majid United Arab Emirates Answer: For my answer to the first and third question, please refer to my earlier responses to related questions, posted in the section titled ' Issues relating to Adoption '. As for your second question, it is clear from the list of Mehram relations [1] mentioned in the Qur'an that an adopted child is not a Mehram for either of his/her adopting parents. Thus, the prescribed etiquette of interaction between males and females, as given in Surah Al-Noor 24: 30 - 31 will apply to the interaction between the grown-up adopted child and its adopting parents [2] . However, if the child is adopted during his/her infancy, then I would recommend that the adopting mother should nurse the child and, thereby, allow herself and her husband to become foster parents of the child. Because the Qur'an has recognized foster parentage as a basis for the prohibition of marriage, therefore, an adopted child who has also been nursed by the adopting mother would be recognized as a Mehram relation for the adopting parents. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad December 22, 2002 [1] Mehram relations are those relations - other than husband and wife - between whom marriage is prohibited by the Shari`ah . [2] For details, please refer to the section titled: ' Etiquette of Interaction Between Males & Females '.