It is allowed to do so if you do not conceal his true identity and do not mistake his biological father for his adopted ‘father’- to facilitate legal requirements.
In other words, it is permissible to give the adopted child only the family name of his foster family, which guarantees loyalty of the adopted child to his new home without claiming biological ties with the adopted child, which is prohibited in Islamic law.
Adding names of persons of different biological origins to a family or clan, signifying their attachments with them, was a common practice among the Arabs before Islam. Islam did not abolish such customs; the prohibition adoption practice confused such affiliation with biological affiliation; such a practice is forbidden as it affects the rules of inheritance and lineage and Mahram relations.
Therefore, when there are genuine safeguards against such consequences, there is no harm for an adopted son to take on the surname of the adoptive ‘father.’
Ibn Kathir, the famous Mufassir of the Quran, says, explaining the verse, {Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers – then they are [still] your brothers in religion and those entrusted to you.} (Al-Ahzab 33:5), ‘calling the adopted child “son” out of love and kindness is not prohibited and he used the prophetic tradition (reported by Muslim) in which the Prophet called his servant “Anas” as “son.”
There is no shortage of precedents for giving a family name to someone who is not biologically related for various reasons; thus, a formerly enslaved person takes on the name of the person who freed him; likewise, people from one clan take on the name of another clan they have joined in an alliance.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) referred to Umm Ayman, “She is my mother after my mother,” as she was the one who took care of him after his mother passed away.
Imam Ibn As-Salah, the renowned Hadith scholar, says that a person joining his name with that of a tribe he does not biologically relate to was also a common practice.
In light of these, it is OK for an adopted person to add his adopted father’s name as long as there is no confusion about his biological parentage or identity and as long as there is no tampering with the Islamic rules of inheritance.
Almighty Allah knows best.
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