1st May 2023
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: A man has an illegitimate male child. Can this child come in front of his biological aunt and paternal grandmother without hijab being observed when he gets older and also serve as their Mahram?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query on whether this illegitimate child is a mahram or not to them has two separate legal rulings. First concerning the paternal grandmother and secondly the aunt. The illegitimate male child becomes a mahram to the fornicator’s mother due to the laws of musaharat which states that through illegitimate relation, the fornicator’s ascendants and descendants become unlawful for the child to marry i.e. mahram. This is due to a biological connection that is now established between the child and his grandmother through his illegitimate father and hence her mahram.[1]
As for the aunt, illegitimate father’s sister, the child does not become her mahram due to the child’s lineage not being attributed to the father.[2] In other words, when a man fornicates with a woman and an illegitimate child is born, this child’s lineage is attributed to the mother and not to the father because the Shariah does not recognise lineage outside of wedlock. As of which this child’s biological connection is cut off from his illegitimate father’s siblings as well as from his legitimate children and moreover, he cannot inherit from this illegitimate father’s estate. This is different in the case of ascendants and descendants because direct connection is established. Henceforth, this child has no mahram relationship with his aunt and she must observe Hijab in front him after he attains bulugh.[3]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Muftiya Gul-e-Maryam Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Ikhtiyaar Li Ta’leel Mukhtar, Vol 3, Pg 88
وَالزِّنَا يُوجِبُ حُرْمَةَ الْمُصَاهَرَةِ) ، فَمَنْ زَنَى بِامْرَأَةٍ أَوْ وَطِئَهَا بِشُبْهَةٍ حَرُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ أُصُولُهَا وَفُرُوعُهَا، وَتَحْرُمُ الْمَوْطُوءَةُ عَلَى أُصُولِ الْوَاطِئِ وَفُرُوعِهِ. (وَكَذَا الْمَسُّ بِشَهْوَةٍ مِنَ الْجَانِبَيْنِ وَالنَّظَرُ إِلَى الْفَرْجِ مِنَ الْجَانِبَيْنِ أَيْضًا) ، وَالْمُعْتَبَرُ النَّظَرُ إِلَى فَرْجِهَا الْبَاطِنِ دُونَ الظَّاهِرِ. رُوِيَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ، وَهُوَ الصَّحِيحُ.
Raddul Mukhtar, Vol 3, Pg 32
قَوْلُهُ: وَحَرُمَ أَيْضًا بِالصِّهْرِيَّةِ أَصْلُ مَزْنِيَّتِهِ) قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ: أَرَادَ بِحُرْمَةِ الْمُصَاهَرَةِ الْحُرُمَاتِ الْأَرْبَعَ حُرْمَةَ الْمَرْأَةِ عَلَى أُصُولِ الزَّانِي وَفُرُوعِهِ نَسَبًا وَرَضَاعًا وَحُرْمَةَ أُصُولِهَا وَفُرُوعِهَا عَلَى الزَّانِي نَسَبًا وَرَضَاعًا كَمَا فِي الْوَطْءِ الْحَلَالِ وَيَحِلُّ لِأُصُولِ الزَّانِي وَفُرُوعِهِ أُصُولُ الْمُزَنِيّ بِهَا وَفُرُوعُهَا.
[2] Raddul Mukhtar, Vol 3, Pg 29
فِي كِتَابِ الرَّضَاعِ مِنْ أَنَّ الْبِنْتَ مِنْ الزِّنَى لَا تَحْرُمُ عَلَى عَمِّ الزَّانِي وَخَالِهِ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ نَسَبُهَا مِنْ الزَّانِي حَتَّى يَظْهَرَ فِيهَا حُكْمُ الرِّقَابَةِ، وَأَمَّا التَّحْرِيمُ عَلَى آبَاءِ الزَّانِي وَأَوْلَادِهِ فَلِاعْتِبَارِ الْجُزْئِيَّةِ وَلَا جُزْئِيَّةَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ الْعَمِّ وَالْخَالِ.
Raddul Mukhtar, Vol 3, Pg 31
وَمُقْتَضَى تَقْيِيدِهِ بِالْفَرْعِ وَالْأَصْلِ أَنَّهُ لَا خِلَافَ فِي عَدَمِ الْحُرْمَةِ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمَا مِنْ الْحَوَاشِي كَالْأَخِ وَالْعَمِّ. وَفِي التَّنْجِيسِ زَنَى بِامْرَأَةٍ فَوَلَدَتْ فَأَرْضَعَتْ بِهَذَا اللَّبَنِ صَبِيَّةً لَا يَجُوزُ لِهَذَا الزَّانِي تَزَوُّجُهَا وَلَا لِأُصُولِهِ وَفُرُوعِهِ، وَالْعَمِّ الزَّانِي التَّزَوُّجُ بِهَا كَمَا لَوْ كَانَتْ وَلَدَتْ لَهُ مِنْ الزِّنَى، وَالْخَالُ مِثْلُهُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ نَسَبُهَا مِنْ الزَّانِي، حَتَّى يَظْهَرَ فِيهَا حُكْمُ الْقَرَابَةِ وَالتَّحْرِيمُ عَلَى أَبِي الزَّانِي وَأَوْلَادِهِ وَأَوْلَادِهِمْ لِاعْتِبَارِ الْجُزْئِيَّةِ وَلَا جُزْئِيَّةَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ الْعَمِّ، وَإِذَا ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ فِي الْمُتَوَلِّدَةِ مِنْ الزِّنَى فَكَذَا فِي الْمُرْضَعَةِ بِلَبَنِ الزِّنَى. اهـ. قُلْت: وَهَذَا مُخَالِفٌ لِمَا مَرَّ مِنْ التَّعْمِيمِ فِي قَوْلِ الشَّارِحِ: وَلَوْ مِنْ زِنًى كَمَا نَبَّهْنَا عَلَيْهِ هُنَاكَ.
[3] For more details see Ahsanul Fatawa vol 5, p. 78, Fatawa Faridiyyah, vol 4, p. 464 and Fatawa Qasimiyyah, vol 13, p. 237