The Institute of Guardianship in Muslim Family Law in the Early Middle Ages

Abstract

The article deals with the rights of the child and parents in the Muslim family law of the early Middle Ages and its formation in the 8th-10th centuries. The key rights of the child were determined and explained: the right to life, the right to naming, the right to nafaka-the right to financial support-the right to the awareness of his or her genealogy, the right to breastfeeding and the right to up-bringing (al-hidana). In addition, the article provides for the following classifications of the rights in question: basic, financial-economic, religious-ethical. Also, the author considers the issue of prohibition of adoption and gives the definition of an orphan (jatim) under Muslim family law, elucidates peculiarities of the status of orphans, the mechanism for protecting property rights of orphans, rights and duties of guardians with respect of orphans and their property, powers of the kadia (judge) regarding the issue of protecting the rights of orphans, types of guardianship. The reasons and procedure for deprivation of guardianship are also examined. In addition, the author considers parental property rights regarding children.