What is the punishment for a father who tells his children they are children of illegitimacy (awlād al-ḥarām)?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
A Muslim should accustom his tongue to good speech, especially a father, because children take him as a role model, and he should avoid obscene words. A father's statement to his children that they are "children of " (illegitimate) is considered an ugly expression. If he intended thereby to accuse them of fornication (qadhf), then it is forbidden and necessitates the prescribed punishment (hadd). If he only intended it as an insult or revilement, it is not considered qadhf. This depends on customary usage and contextual evidence.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/59070
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 59070
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy