Is a father punished through his children—such as by their disobedience or other means—due to past sins and transgressions, like adultery, even if he has repented and is currently performing good deeds, and what can be done to avoid a father being tested through his children?

The Islamic legal principle is that a person is not held accountable for the misdeed of another; as Allah the Almighty says: "And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another."

A father may witness the ill effects of his sin in what Allah decrees upon his children, such as Allah afflicting him with a handicapped child as a consequence of his earlier mockery of a disabled person. In this case, the father bears the burden of that child.

As for the son, the affliction that befell him is like that of others whom Allah tests according to His wisdom, and Allah is not questioned about what He does.

The righteousness of parents and their adherence to the Sharia are among the causes for the righteousness of children, as happened with the two boys whose wall Al-Khidr rebuilt due to the righteousness of their father. For this reason, some of the Salaf would increase their prayers, hoping that Allah would protect their children.

We highlight two points: firstly, that one who repents sincerely from a sin will not be pursued by the consequences of that sin; and secondly, that a person is exposed to calamities and trials, and it is not necessary that all of them are due to sins he committed.