Changing the name of the foster child

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Fatwa no. 20649 All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon the final Prophet.The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has reviewed the letter submitted to His Honor the Grand Mufty by the assistant of the Chief Justice in Al-Ahsa', Sheikh Ibrahim ibn Muhammad Al-Husayn, under no. 2544/1 on 8/9/1419 A.H. referred to the Committee from the Secretariat General of the Council of Senior Scholars under no. 5829 on (Part No. 20; Page No. 369) 23/9/1419 A.H. He attaches to his letter a letter he received from the judge in the Supreme Court in Al-Ahsa', Sheikh Muhammad ibn Sulayman Al-Sa`id. The letter is in relation to the request made by `Ali ibn Sa`d ibn `Ali Al-Musaylam to change the name of the foster-child Ghassan `Abd Al-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah Muhammad. The letter states: Attached are all the documents of the referred case under no. 40/3 on 26/8/1419 A.H. related to the request submitted by `Ali ibn Sa`d ibn `Ali Al-Musaylam asking to change the name of the foster-child called Ghassan `Abd Al-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah Muhammad, pursuant to the act attached to the letter issued from this court under no. 46/9 on 23/7/1417 A.H., to be Ghassan `Ali `Abdullah Muhammad since the petitioner's name is `Ali Al-Musaylam. He wants the child's name to be Ghassan `Ali `Abdullah Muhammad to make things easy for the child.A circulated notice issued by the Ministry of Health under no. 71/6/31 on 13/3/1404 A.H. whose copy is attached to the letter which is based on a Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) by His Honor Sheikh `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz (may Allah protect him) stipulates that names of foster-children should be composed of four names. The first is a proper name, while the second and third should denote subservience to Allah and the fourth a proper name as well. Please ask the Grand Mufty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Part No. 20; Page No. 370) (may Allah protect him) if there is anything that prevents changing a foster child's name to have a proper name as his second name to be "Ghassan `Ali `Abdullah Muhammad". We ask Allah to guide Your Honor and grant him success.May Allah protect and save you. As-salamu `alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you).

After studying the Fatwa request, the Committee gave the following answer: The foster-child's name should remain Ghassan `Abd Al-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah Muhammad without any change, based on the Fatwa issued by His Honor the Grand Mufty of the Kingdom in this regard. Moreover, changing the child's name may indicate that his foster-parent is his father, cause confusion and lead to the prohibited adoption. With the passage of time, the foster-child or anyone else may think that his foster-parents are his natural parents and thus attribute the child to them. This may cause confusion and mixing in lineage. It can be a means of achieving personal gains and desires and lead to what Allah has made unlawful. All of this is harmful and reprehensible. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.