Arabic legal term for a formal pledge to support and care for a specific orphaned or abandoned child until the child reaches majority. Kafala is considered a form of unilateral contract, and is used in various Islamic nations to assure protection for such minors, as these nations generally do not legally recognize the concept of adoption. But unlike adoption, kafala neither conveys inheritance rights nor any right to use the grantor's family name. Although kafala is not identical with adoption, because of its close functional similarity, the term ADOPTION should also be entered as a finding aid in any record to which KAFALA is entered as a Subject Heading.