Can I Treat My Adopted Parents As My Real Parents?

Question: Is it okay if I treat my adopted parents legally and emotionally as if they were my real parents?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

You can treat your adopted parents emotionally as your real parents, and you can call them by the names mum and dad as long as everyone knows that they are not your mum and dad. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to refer to some people as “my dear son” (bunayya) as a term of endearment and nothing more.

However, it has to be known that you are not their child, and you must make sure that legally you are not registered as biologically their child and that they only inherit from in their actual capacity and not as your mother or father.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Indeed of the greatest of lies is that a man claim that someone other than his father is his father.” [Bukhari]

I pray this helps.

[Ustahd] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.