Thus, by definition, kifala includes tasks that are partly...

Thus, by definition, kifala includes tasks that are partly done by the foster suckling-mother and partly by other people, or at least part of those tasks could be undertaken by others, which is clearly implied from the statement ﴾and will be his well-wishers﴿. In Surat Al-i ʿImran , the holy Qur’an brings up the issue of taking charge of Mary's care ( kifala ) by Zechariah.

Having stated how ʿImran's wife dedicated to Him what was in her belly and the birth of Mary, Allah first emphasizes that Zechariah took charge of Mary's care: ﴾Thereupon her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and made her grow up in a worthy fashion, and He charged Zechariah with her care.﴿.

[^3] Then He mentions that charging him with her care has been determined by casting lots: ﴾These accounts are from the Unseen, which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they were casting lots [to see] which of them would take charge of Mary's care (yakfulu), nor were you with them when they were contending.﴿ [^4] Choosing a guardian ( kafil ) by casting lots denotes a disagreement existing between Zechariah and the dignitaries of Bani Israʿil, which the Qur’an points out with surprise.

A disagreement that can be an outcome of everybody's desire to take charge of Mary's care, as it can be due to everyone's unwillingness to do so, as well. In the former case, Mary's moral-spiritual merits and certain familial and social considerations lead to casting lots and in the latter case, the adverse economical conditions caused by draught prompted it.[^5] Three possibilities have been brought up in exegetical texts as to when the disagreement over Mary's guardianship occurred.

a) Upon her birth and being handed over to the mosque by her mother in order to fulfill her vow. b) While she became an orphan as she lost her parents. c) While she reached maturity and Zechariah's inability to provide for her livelihood.[^6] It is clearly understood from what was said above that kifala (guardianship), at least in its Qur’anic application, is used in a more inclusive meaning than child custody.

Kifala in this usage includes all aspects of a human being ranging from breastfeeding to provision for his/her living expenses and caretaking without any time limitation; but custody does not enjoy such comprehensiveness, as will be explained in the following chapters. Preliminary Discussions The term hidhana in Arabic is derived from the root hadhana .