Rights of an illegitimate child
Question
A Muslim male conceived a child with a Muslim female. The couple never got married. The father’s family accepted the child as part of their family, but the father has not been part of the child’s life. The father has married another woman.
Does the father have any obligations towards the illegitimate child? (The child’s mother is currently causing problems in the father’s marriage due to her constant demands)
Answer
The lineage of an illegitimate child is attributed to the mother and not the father, hence the father has no obligation towards the child. The child does not inherit from the father, nor does the father inherit from him.
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
وَيَرِثُ وَلَدُ الزِّنَا وَاللِّعَانِ بِجِهَةِ الْأُمِّ فَقَطْ (تبيين الحقائق ص241 ج6)
. ولا تجب نفقة ولد الزنا على أبيه الزاني ولا نفقة الزاني على ولد الزنا لأنها إنما تجب بالنسب ولا نسب ، وإنما تجب النفقة لولد الزنا على كل قريب وارث على القول الذي رجحنا قال تعالى : {وَعَلَى الْوَارِثِ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ}(1) ، فإن لم يكن له وارث كانت نفقته على بيت مال المسلمين
- Answered by
- Mufti Mohammed Desai
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