What is the status of illegitimate children in Islam? I don’t know much references about this.
What does the Quran says about this?
Example if a person wants to marry someone who was born out of wedlock, are there any religious reasons that it should not be allowed?
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
To the best of my knowledge, there are no prohibition of marrying such a person.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
The only limitation that Allah has given us from marrying others is the person should be a believer (Muslim) other than that, every child that is born is Muslim and without sins.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
although I read somewhere that an illegitimate child can not become an imam and can not lead prayers, which to me seems directly in conflict with the statement that all are equal and the only differentiating aspect is taqwa.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
but i dont get why not..arent all children born Muslim? and if their mother or father raise them to be Muslim i dont see why they cant.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
where did you read that?
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
In Holy Quran, Allah [swt] instructed not be the followers of people who have certain characteristics and being Zanim [base-born/ one from illegitimate birth] is also in that list.
(Surah Qalam , verse 8-13)
**8. So (O Muhammad SAW) obey not the deniers (of Islamic Monotheism those who belie the Verses of Allah), the Oneness of Allah, and the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW), etc.] **
**9. They wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them, so they (too) would compromise with you. **
**10. And obey not everyone who swears much, and is considered worthless, **
**11. A slanderer, going about with calumnies, **
**12. Hinderer of the good, transgressor, sinful, **
3. Cruel, after all that base-born (of illegitimate birth),
http://www.al-sunnah.com/call_to_islam/quran/surah68.html
Zanim means the son of an adulteress. When this verse was revealed, Walid, very proud of his high position among the Quraysh, in anger and desperation, went to his mother and demanded the truth about his birth. His mother said: “Your father was a very rich man, but as he was impotent we did not have any child; and I did not want his brother’s sons to own our wealth, so I cohabited with a slave and you were born.”
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
Ange;ees and hareem, please dont get me wrong. I am not saying that it is right, I am fairly confused about the issue because if taqwa is the only thing which makes you better than the other person then why is this loophole there.
It is not the child's fault as the child can not control the circumstances of its birth. It seems a little strange to me that God would let an innocent child be born and be gauged on something that it had no control on.
Plus, what exactly is then considred out of wedlock, someone could be born in 'wedlock' by the standards of another faith but not by islamic standards, then what? if someone weds in the name of some greek god or ropman god, is that the same as an islamic nikah.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
I just checked the tafseer by Maulana Maudoodi.
Verse 13 onwards are a reference to some well known person of the time. Illegitimacy is used to as a reference to identify him. There is no judgement implied regarding illegitimate children.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
Thanks for the clarification
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
illegitimate children do not get inheritance from the father....
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
unless the father marries their mother in an Islamic manner (nikkah).
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
but what if a man is muttaqi and he’s illegitimate …
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
by that token if a non muslim becomes muslim but his wife and kids do not, then his kids will not get inheritance because there was no islamic nikah for marriage? but that hardly makes the kids illegitimate.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
^Good question Mr. fraudia
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
hmm that is a good question.
it is my understanding that if both parents are muslims and have a child out of wedlock then in order for the kids to have rights accoring to the shariah the parents must have nikkah. Someone plz correct me if im wrong.
I'm unsure about the scenerio you mentioned above. Perhaps someone else who has more knowledge about this matter can enlighten us.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
^
it is generally accepted among scholars that a muslim does not inherit from non-muslim relatives and vice versa....
some schools of thought accept inheritance from ahl-e-kitab....
whether they think inheritance to the non-muslim children of a deceased muslim is allowed or not, i am not sure (for the case of ahl-e-kitab)....
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
^ okay then, if a family becomes muslim, does the couple have to get remarried by islamic law or does the previous union hold true? what about kids who were born prior to the family.
The question was in response to angel eyes point which i quoted in my question, so the issue is not on islamic inheritance laws but the 'legitimacy' of the children.
If Islamic Nikah is a prerequisite for someone being considered legitimate then you must realize that many of our holy figures were born before there was an islamic Nikah. I ams ure you woudl nto call them illegitimate children.
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
^ no i dont think the couple need to remarry and Islam does recognize a marriage even if it is done by other religions or court, as long as their own society (the nonmuslim one) accepts them as a married couple....
Re: Illegitimate children: Religious point of view.
^ there are limitations there though, islam does not recognize a women with multiple husbands as a valid marriage so the status of those kids can be a little iffy right?