What is the difference between a child born to married parents and a child born to unmarried parents, and what are the punishments that may befall the child in this world and the hereafter?
A child born from a valid, legitimate marriage is a legitimate child, and all শরীআ rulings apply to him, such as inheritance, lineage, and maintenance. As for a child born from a man and a woman who are not married, he is a child of zina (fornication/adultery); he is not attributed to his father, there is no inheritance between them, and maintenance is not obligatory for him. Those who commit the abomination of zina commit a major sin and deserve Allah's punishment if they do not repent with sincere repentance. However, the child is not to blame for his parents' actions, and there is no punishment for him in this world or the hereafter, as Allah Almighty says: ﴿And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.﴾ Yet, in terms of lineage, he is not attributed to the fornicator/adulterer.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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