Child Paternity Rules
Total Hadiths 38
Prophetic Rulings and Guidelines on Child Paternity in Islam
These authentic prophetic narratives establish fundamental Islamic principles regarding child paternity rules and family integrity. In the first two accounts, a man questions his child's lineage because the boy was born with dark skin. The Prophet gently guides his understanding by comparing human genetics to camels, showing that varied traits can be purely hereditary. Consequently, the Prophet decreed that a man cannot disown a child born in his wedlock unless there is definitive proof of an immoral act. The third narration delivers a profound warning against disrupting family lineages, stating that mothers who falsely attribute paternity or fathers who unjustly deny their true biological children will face severe spiritual consequences and public disgrace on the Day of Judgment. According to Islamic scholars, these teachings collectively safeguard children's rights and preserve sacred lineage.
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ بَنِي فَزَارَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ امْرَأَتِي جَاءَتْ بِوَلَدٍ أَسْوَدَ فَقَالَ " هَلْ لَكَ مِنْ إِبِلٍ " . قَالَ نَعَمْ . قَالَ " مَا أَلْوَانُهَا " . قَالَ حُمْرٌ قَالَ " فَهَلْ فِيهَا مِنْ أَوْرَقَ " . قَالَ إِنَّ فِيهَا لَوُرْقًا . قَالَ " فَأَنَّى تُرَاهُ " . قَالَ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ نَزَعَهُ عِرْقٌ . قَالَ " وَهَذَا عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ نَزَعَهُ عِرْقٌ " .
Abu Hurairah said A man from Banu Fazarah came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said “My wife has given birth to a black son”. He said “Have you any camels?” He said “They are red”. He asked “Is there a dusky one among them?” He replied “Some of them are dusky”. He asked “How do you think they have come about?” He replied “This may be a strain to which they reverted”. He said “And this is perhaps a strain to which the child has reverted.”
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2260In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 86English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2253
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِإِسْنَادِهِ وَمَعْنَاهُ قَالَ وَهُوَ حِينَئِذٍ يُعَرِّضُ بِأَنْ يَنْفِيَهُ .
The tradition mentioned above has also been narrated by Al Zuhri through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds “At that time he was hinting at disowning the child.”
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2261In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 87English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2254
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنَّ امْرَأَتِي وَلَدَتْ غُلاَمًا أَسْوَدَ وَإِنِّي أُنْكِرُهُ . فَذَكَرَ مَعْنَاهُ .
Narrated AbuHurayrah: A bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ), and said: My wife has given birth to a black son, and I disown him. He then narrated the rest of the tradition to the same effect.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2262In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 88English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2255
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْحَارِثِ - عَنِ ابْنِ الْهَادِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يُونُسَ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ حِينَ نَزَلَتْ آيَةُ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ " أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ أَدْخَلَتْ عَلَى قَوْمٍ مَنْ لَيْسَ مِنْهُمْ فَلَيْسَتْ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىْءٍ وَلَنْ يُدْخِلَهَا اللَّهُ جَنَّتَهُ وَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ جَحَدَ وَلَدَهُ وَهُوَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ احْتَجَبَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ وَفَضَحَهُ عَلَى رُءُوسِ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ " .
Narrated AbuHurayrah: AbuHurayrah heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say when the verse about invoking curses came down: Any woman who brings to her family one who does not belong to it has nothing to do with Allah (i.e. expects no mercy from Allah), and Allah will not bring her into His Paradise. Allah, the Exalted, will veil Himself from any man who disowns his child when he looks at him, and disgrace him in the presence of all creatures, first and last.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2263In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 89English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2256
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرٌ، عَنْ سَلْمٍ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي الذَّيَّالِ - حَدَّثَنِي بَعْضُ، أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ مُسَاعَاةَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ مَنْ سَاعَى فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَدْ لَحِقَ بِعَصَبَتِهِ وَمَنِ ادَّعَى وَلَدًا مِنْ غَيْرِ رِشْدَةٍ فَلاَ يَرِثُ وَلاَ يُورَثُ " .
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no prostitution in Islam. If anyone practised prostitution in pre-Islamic times, the child will be attributed to the master (of the slave-woman). He who claims his child without a valid marriage or ownership will neither inherit nor be inherited.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2264In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 90English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2257
حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ، - وَهُوَ أَشْبَعُ - عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ مُوسَى، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَضَى أَنَّ كُلَّ مُسْتَلْحَقٍ اسْتُلْحِقَ بَعْدَ أَبِيهِ الَّذِي يُدْعَى لَهُ ادَّعَاهُ وَرَثَتُهُ فَقَضَى أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَمَةٍ يَمْلِكُهَا يَوْمَ أَصَابَهَا فَقَدْ لَحِقَ بِمَنِ اسْتَلْحَقَهُ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِمَّا قُسِمَ قَبْلَهُ مِنَ الْمِيرَاثِ شَىْءٌ وَمَا أَدْرَكَ مِنْ مِيرَاثٍ لَمْ يُقْسَمْ فَلَهُ نَصِيبُهُ وَلاَ يُلْحَقُ إِذَا كَانَ أَبُوهُ الَّذِي يُدْعَى لَهُ أَنْكَرَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَمَةٍ لَمْ يَمْلِكْهَا أَوْ مِنْ حُرَّةٍ عَاهَرَ بِهَا فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يُلْحَقُ بِهِ وَلاَ يَرِثُ وَإِنْ كَانَ الَّذِي يُدْعَى لَهُ هُوَ ادَّعَاهُ فَهُوَ وَلَدُ زِنْيَةٍ مِنْ حُرَّةٍ كَانَ أَوْ أَمَةٍ .
'Amr b. Shu'aib on his father's authority said that his grandfather reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) decided regarding one who was treated as a member of a family after the death of his father, to whom he was attributed when the heirs said he was one of them, that if he was the child of a slave-woman whom the father owned when he had intercourse with her, he was included among those who sought his inclusion, but received none of the inheritance which was previously divided; he, however, received his portion of the inheritance which had not already been divided; but if the father to whom he was attributed had disowned him, he was not joined to the heirs. If he was a child of a slave-woman whom the father did not possess or of a free woman with whom he had illicit intercourse, he was not joined to the heirs and did not inherit even if the one to whom he was attributed is the one who claimed paternity, since he was a child of fornication whether his mother was free or a slave.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2265In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 91English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2258
حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ، بِإِسْنَادِهِ وَمَعْنَاهُ زَادَ وَهُوَ وَلَدُ زِنًا لأَهْلِ أُمِّهِ مَنْ كَانُوا حُرَّةً أَوْ أَمَةً وَذَلِكَ فِيمَا اسْتُلْحِقَ فِي أَوَّلِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَمَا اقْتُسِمَ مِنْ مَالٍ قَبْلَ الإِسْلاَمِ فَقَدْ مَضَى .
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Muhammad bin Rashid through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds “he is the child of fornication for the people of his mother whether she was free or a slave. This attribution of a child to the parents was practiced in the beginning of Islam. The property divided before Islam will not be taken into account.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2266In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 92English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2259
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، - الْمَعْنَى - وَابْنُ السَّرْحِ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ وَابْنُ السَّرْحِ يَوْمًا مَسْرُورًا وَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ يُعْرَفُ أَسَارِيرُ وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ " أَىْ عَائِشَةُ أَلَمْ تَرَىْ أَنَّ مُجَزِّزًا الْمُدْلِجِيَّ رَأَى زَيْدًا وَأُسَامَةَ قَدْ غَطَّيَا رُءُوسَهُمَا بِقَطِيفَةٍ وَبَدَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذِهِ الأَقْدَامَ بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ كَانَ أُسَامَةُ أَسْوَدَ وَكَانَ زَيْدٌ أَبْيَضَ .
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon me. The version of Musaddad and Ibn as-Sarh has: one day looking pleased". The version of Uthman has: "The lines of his forehead were realised." He said: O Aisha, are you not surprised to hear that Mujazziz al-Mudlaji saw that Zayd and Usamah had a rug over them concerning their heads and letting their feet appear. He said: These feet are related. Abu Dawud: Usamah was black and Zaid was white.
[1] Referring to those who examine a person's traits to determine parentage.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2267In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 93English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2260
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، بِإِسْنَادِهِ وَمَعْنَاهُ قَالَ قَالَتْ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ مَسْرُورًا تَبْرُقُ أَسَارِيرُ وَجْهِهِ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَأَسَارِيرُ وَجْهِهِ . لَمْ يَحْفَظْهُ ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ أَسَارِيرُ وَجْهِهِ هُوَ تَدْلِيسٌ مِنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهُ مِنَ الزُّهْرِيِّ إِنَّمَا سَمِعَ الأَسَارِيرَ مِنْ غَيْرِ الزُّهْرِيِّ . قَالَ وَالأَسَارِيرُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ اللَّيْثِ وَغَيْرِهِ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَسَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ صَالِحٍ يَقُولُ كَانَ أُسَامَةُ أَسْوَدَ شَدِيدَ السَّوَادِ مِثْلَ الْقَارِ وَكَانَ زَيْدٌ أَبْيَضَ مِثْلَ الْقُطْنِ .
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by ibn Shihab through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds “She said “he entered upon me looking pleased with the lines of his face brightened. Abu Dawud said “Ibn ‘Uyainah did not remember the words “the lines of his face”.” Abu Dawud said “The words “the lines of his face” have been narrated by Ibn ‘Uyainah himself. He did not hear Al Zuhri say (these words). He heard some person other than Al Zuhri say these words. The words “the lines of his face” occur in the tradition narrated by Al Laith and others. Abu Dawud said “ I heard Ahmad bin Salih say “Usamah was very black like tar and Zaid was white like cotton.”
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2268In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 94English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2261
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنِ الأَجْلَحِ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْخَلِيلِ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ، قَالَ كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ ثَلاَثَةَ نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ أَتَوْا عَلِيًّا يَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَيْهِ فِي وَلَدٍ وَقَدْ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَقَالَ لاِثْنَيْنِ مِنْهُمَا طِيبَا بِالْوَلَدِ لِهَذَا . فَغَلَيَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لاِثْنَيْنِ طِيبَا بِالْوَلَدِ لِهَذَا . فَغَلَبَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لاِثْنَيْنِ طِيبَا بِالْوَلَدِ لِهَذَا . فَغَلَبَا فَقَالَ أَنْتُمْ شُرَكَاءُ مُتَشَاكِسُونَ إِنِّي مُقْرِعٌ بَيْنَكُمْ فَمَنْ قُرِعَ فَلَهُ الْوَلَدُ وَعَلَيْهِ لِصَاحِبَيْهِ ثُلُثَا الدِّيَةِ . فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَجَعَلَهُ لِمَنْ قُرِعَ فَضَحِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى بَدَتْ أَضْرَاسُهُ أَوْ نَوَاجِذُهُ .
Narrated Zayd ibn Arqam: I was sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ). A man came from the Yemen, and said: Three men from the people of the Yemen came to Ali, quarrelling about a child, asking him to give a decision. They had had sexual intercourse with a woman during a single state of purity. He said to two of them: Give this child to this man (the third person) with pleasure. But they (refused and) cried loudly. Again he said to two of them: Give the child to the man (the third person) willingly. But they (refused and) cried loudly. He then said: You are quarrelsome partners. I shall cast lots among you; he who receives the lot, will acquire the child, and he shall pay two-thirds of the blood-money to both his companions. He then cast lots among them, and gave the child to the one who received the lot. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) laughed so much that his canine or molar teeth appeared.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2269In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 95English translation : Book 12, Hadith 2262
