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Is it permissible to secretly conduct a DNA test to verify a son's lineage, knowing that "the child belongs to the [marriage] bed" and that the divorced mother previously refused the test?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Doubt concerning the wife comes from Satan, and it is the husband's duty to ignore it, because Islamic law prioritizes the aspect of innocence. He must think well of her and repel the whispers of Satan. If the husband ascertains that the child is not his, for example, if his wife became pregnant during his absence, he may disown the child through li'an (oath of condemnation). A condition for disowning paternity is that the man must not delay in doing so. If he acknowledges the child or delays disowning him when he had the ability to do so, the child's lineage will be attributed to him. Scholars have differed regarding the permissible delay period for disowning a child. One must be wary of denying a child whose lineage is established, due to the severe warning mentioned concerning anyone who disowns his child.

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

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