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Muslim children are legally taken from their parents in the UK

Question

Assalamu O Alaikum In the uk..Children are stolen from their muslim parents for reasons that are superficial and physical. I have seen hundereds of muslim sisters and brothers who are very loving in their hearts have their children snatched by the councils. I know this is very evil. they then get people from the council who call themselves "guardians" and who pretend to "act for the children" and say that the children dont want to come back- newborn babies who cannot even speak...and children who beg to come home. this is not right because they are evil but pretending to be telling what the children want. When it is lies. the use of a false name"guardian" and lies of "acting" for someone else are tricks. please can you tell your view on this Any information you have is great thanks May Allah bless you

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Firstly, we should shed light on the reason that may drive such people to take the children away from their parents, which is what they call violence/abuse (against them). Parents have the right to discipline their children within the proper limits set by the Islamic Sharee'ah in this regard. In Islam, parents are allowed to discipline their children, without abusing or hitting them violently or severely. The permissible physical punishment in this case should be for the purpose of discipline, not for revenge or to vent one's anger. Scholars underlined that, “beating for the purpose of disciplining is allowed provided that the child’s safety is ensured, and it should abide by the manner, rules and limits set by the Sharee'ah.

Beating children in this legitimate manner is allowable in Islam, as confirmed by the narration of ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb from his father from his grandfather that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Command your children to pray when they are seven, and beat them for it (i.e. if they do not pray) when they are ten; and separate between them in bed.” [Ahmad and Abu Daawood]

However, if a Muslim parent is to resort to this form of discipline, he should not do so while staying in a non-Muslim country because the man-made laws in those countries do not give that right to the parent. This reflects the gravity of living in non-Muslim countries. Therefore, scholars deemed it impermissible for Muslims to stay in non-Muslim countries for no (Sharee'ah-acceptable) necessity or need. Please, refer to Fataawa 81642 and 86405.

Indeed, stripping parents of their children is totally unacceptable in Islam. The mother has more right than anyone else to nurse her child, and the father has more right than anyone else to take care of his child. It is even graver when the child is given to another (foster) family who may not instill in the child the Islamic beliefs, values, and ethics. It is indeed tragic. Verily, we belong to Allaah, and verily, to Him we shall return.

Allaah Knows best.

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