Lineage
Total Hadiths 5
Prophetic Hadiths on Lineage and Family Descent in Islam
In Islamic law, maintaining correct lineage and family descent is of utmost importance, ensuring clarity in legal rights and inheritance. These authentic prophetic traditions establish fundamental guidelines for determining child legitimacy and managing marital disputes. According to Islamic scholars, when a husband accuses his wife of infidelity through the legal process of li'an (mutual oath of condemnation), the Prophet Muhammad established that the couple must be separated, and the child's lineage is traced to the mother. Furthermore, the Prophet laid down a definitive legal maxim: the child is attributed to the legal marriage bed where they were born, rather than to an adulterer, regardless of physical resemblances. Finally, these texts highlight the profound spiritual consequences of manipulating lineage. Knowingly claiming someone else as your father while rejecting your biological ancestry is a severe sin that strictly denies a person entry into Paradise.
وَحَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، بْنُ يَحْيَى - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - قَالَ قُلْتُ لِمَالِكٍ حَدَّثَكَ نَافِعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، لاَعَنَ امْرَأَتَهُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَفَرَّقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنَهُمَا وَأَلْحَقَ الْوَلَدَ بِأُمِّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ .
Nafi' reported on the authority of Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) that a person invoked curse on the wife during the lifetime of Allah s Messenger (ﷺ), so he effected separation between them and traced the lineage of the son to his mother.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1494aIn-book reference : Book 19, Hadith 10USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 9, Hadith 3561
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ وَأَنَا أُرَى، أَنَّ عِنْدَهُ، مِنْهُ عِلْمًا . فَقَالَ إِنَّ هِلاَلَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ قَذَفَ امْرَأَتَهُ بِشَرِيكِ ابْنِ سَحْمَاءَ وَكَانَ أَخَا الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ لأُمِّهِ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ رَجُلٍ لاَعَنَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ - قَالَ - فَلاَعَنَهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَبْصِرُوهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَتْ بِهِ أَبْيَضَ سَبِطًا قَضِيءَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ فَهُوَ لِهِلاَلِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ وَإِنْ جَاءَتْ بِهِ أَكْحَلَ جَعْدًا حَمْشَ السَّاقَيْنِ فَهُوَ لِشَرِيكِ ابْنِ سَحْمَاءَ " . قَالَ فَأُنْبِئْتُ أَنَّهَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ أَكْحَلَ جَعْدًا حَمْشَ السَّاقَيْنِ .
Muhammad (one of the narrators) reported: I asked Anas b. Malik (Allah be pleased with him) knowing that he had a knowledge of (the case of li'an). He said: Hilal b. Umayya (Allah be pleased with him) accused his wife with the charge of fornication with Sharik b. Sahma, the brother of al-Bara'b Malik from the side of his mother. And he was the first person who invoked curse (li'an) in Islam. He in fact invoked curse upon her. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: See to her if she gives birth to a white-complexioned child having dark hair and bright eyes; he must be the son of Hilal b. Umayya; and if she gives birth to a child with dark eyelids, curly hair and lean shanks, he must be the offspring of Sharik b. Sahma. He said: I was informed that she gave birth to a child having dark eyelids, curly hair and lean shanks.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1496In-book reference : Book 19, Hadith 15USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 9, Hadith 3566
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم. وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ كَانَ عُتْبَةُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ عَهِدَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ سَعْدٍ أَنْ يَقْبِضَ ابْنَ وَلِيدَةِ زَمْعَةَ، وَقَالَ عُتْبَةُ إِنَّهُ ابْنِي. فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَكَّةَ فِي الْفَتْحِ أَخَذَ سَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ ابْنَ وَلِيدَةِ زَمْعَةَ، فَأَقْبَلَ بِهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وَأَقْبَلَ مَعَهُ عَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ، فَقَالَ سَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ هَذَا ابْنُ أَخِي، عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ ابْنُهُ. قَالَ عَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، هَذَا أَخِي، هَذَا ابْنُ زَمْعَةَ، وُلِدَ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ. فَنَظَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى ابْنِ وَلِيدَةِ زَمْعَةَ، فَإِذَا أَشْبَهُ النَّاسِ بِعُتْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هُوَ لَكَ، هُوَ أَخُوكَ يَا عَبْدُ بْنَ زَمْعَةَ ". مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّهُ وُلِدَ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ، وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " احْتَجِبِي مِنْهُ يَا سَوْدَةُ ". لِمَا رَأَى مِنْ شَبَهِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ. قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْوَلَدُ لِلْفِرَاشِ وَلِلْعَاهِرِ الْحَجَرُ ". وَقَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ وَكَانَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يَصِيحُ بِذَلِكَ.
A'isha Narrated from:
`Utba bin Abi Waqqas authorized his brother Sa`d to take the son of the slave-girl of Zam`a into his custody. `Utba said (to him). "He is my son." When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) arrived in Mecca during the Conquest (of Mecca), Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas took the son of the slave-girl of Zam`a and took him to the Prophet (ﷺ) `Abd bin Zam`a too came along with him. Sa`d said. "This is the son of my brother and the latter has informed me that he is his son." `Abd bin Zam`a said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! This is my brother who is the son of the slave-girl of Zam`a and was born on his (i.e. Zam'as) bed.'Allah's Apostle looked at the son of the slave-girl of Zam`a and noticed that he, of all the people had the greatest resemblance to `Utba bin Abi Waqqas. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said (to `Abd), " He is yours; he is your brother, O `Abd bin Zam`a, he was born on the bed (of your father)."(At the same time) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said (to his wife Sauda), "Veil yourself before him (i.e. the son of the slave-girl) O Sauda," because of the resemblance he noticed between him and `Utba bin Abi Waqqas. Allah's Apostle added, "The boy is for the bed (i.e. for the owner of the bed where he was born), and stone is for the adulterer."(Ibn Shihab said, "Abu Huraira used to say that (i.e. the last statement of the Prophet in the above Hadith 596, publicly.")
[1] Sauda was the daughter of Zam‘a and the wife of the Prophet ﷺ. The son=(1) The adulterer is to be stoned to death (if he or she is a married one) according to Islāmic Law.Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4303In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 336USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 596
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعْدًا ـ وَهْوَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ـ وَأَبَا بَكْرَةَ ـ وَكَانَ تَسَوَّرَ حِصْنَ الطَّائِفِ فِي أُنَاسٍ ـ فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالاَ سَمِعْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَنِ ادَّعَى إِلَى غَيْرِ أَبِيهِ وَهْوَ يَعْلَمُ فَالْجَنَّةُ عَلَيْهِ حَرَامٌ ". وَقَالَ هِشَامٌ وَأَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَالِيَةِ، أَوْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعْدًا، وَأَبَا، بَكْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قَالَ عَاصِمٌ قُلْتُ لَقَدْ شَهِدَ عِنْدَكَ رَجُلاَنِ حَسْبُكَ بِهِمَا. قَالَ أَجَلْ أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَأَوَّلُ مَنْ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَأَمَّا الآخَرُ فَنَزَلَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثَالِثَ ثَلاَثَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ مِنَ الطَّائِفِ.
Abu `Uthman Narrated from:
I heard from Sa`d, the first man who has thrown an arrow in Allah's Cause, and from Abu Bakra who jumped over the wall of the Ta'if Fort along with a few persons and came to the Prophet. They both said, "We heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, " If somebody claims to be the son of somebody other than his father knowingly, he will be denied Paradise (i.e. he will not enter Paradise).' "Narrated Ma`mar from `Asim from Abu Al-`Aliya or Abu `Uthman An-Nahdi who said. "I heard Sa`d and Abu Bakra narrating from the Prophet." `Asim said, "I said (to him), 'Very trustworthy persons have narrated to you.' He said, 'Yes, one of them was the first to throw an arrow in Allah's Cause and the other came to the Prophet (ﷺ) in a group of thirty-three persons from Ta'if.'
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4326, 4327In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 356USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 616
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعْدًا ـ وَهْوَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ـ وَأَبَا بَكْرَةَ ـ وَكَانَ تَسَوَّرَ حِصْنَ الطَّائِفِ فِي أُنَاسٍ ـ فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالاَ سَمِعْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَنِ ادَّعَى إِلَى غَيْرِ أَبِيهِ وَهْوَ يَعْلَمُ فَالْجَنَّةُ عَلَيْهِ حَرَامٌ ". وَقَالَ هِشَامٌ وَأَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَالِيَةِ، أَوْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعْدًا، وَأَبَا، بَكْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قَالَ عَاصِمٌ قُلْتُ لَقَدْ شَهِدَ عِنْدَكَ رَجُلاَنِ حَسْبُكَ بِهِمَا. قَالَ أَجَلْ أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَأَوَّلُ مَنْ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَأَمَّا الآخَرُ فَنَزَلَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثَالِثَ ثَلاَثَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ مِنَ الطَّائِفِ.
Abu `Uthman Narrated from:
I heard from Sa`d, the first man who has thrown an arrow in Allah's Cause, and from Abu Bakra who jumped over the wall of the Ta'if Fort along with a few persons and came to the Prophet. They both said, "We heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, " If somebody claims to be the son of somebody other than his father knowingly, he will be denied Paradise (i.e. he will not enter Paradise).' "Narrated Ma`mar from `Asim from Abu Al-`Aliya or Abu `Uthman An-Nahdi who said. "I heard Sa`d and Abu Bakra narrating from the Prophet." `Asim said, "I said (to him), 'Very trustworthy persons have narrated to you.' He said, 'Yes, one of them was the first to throw an arrow in Allah's Cause and the other came to the Prophet (ﷺ) in a group of thirty-three persons from Ta'if.'
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4326, 4327In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 356USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 616
