Back to search

What is the ruling of Islamic law concerning a married woman who committed adultery and then became pregnant, knowing that her husband had intercourse with her at a later time? Is it possible that she became pregnant from adultery, and what are the consequences of that? Is it permissible for her to have an abortion?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The wife must perform a sincere repentance from adultery and should not seek an abortion.

As for the child's lineage: it is attributed to the husband, the owner of the bed, due to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saying: "The child is for the bed, and for the fornicator is the stone." The husband is not permitted to disown the child as long as there is a possibility that it is his, as a precaution for the lineage.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy