Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu Alaikkum. May Allah reward you and your team for your excellent work. May He wrap us in His Grace and admit us to His nearness.

A person married the 2nd sister when he continued to be in wedlock with the 1st sister, which Allah explicitly prohibits. My question is: Should the children born off the 2nd sister be considered as `haraam` and ill-treated, because they were born out of a prohibited wedlock.

I am aware that you probably get many questions and do your best in answering them all. I request you to give me your opinion on this question which I raised twice before because your answer will save these children much trouble as they continue to be ill-treated.

Allah Hafez. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Illegitimate children born out of wedlok

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: A person married the 2nd sister when he continued to be in wedlock with the 1st sister, which Allah explicitly prohibits.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 23:

23 Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: your mother, daughters, sisters, father's sisters, mother's sisters, brother's daughters, sister's daughters, foster-mothers (who gave you suck), foster-sisters, your wives' mothers, your step-daughters under your guardianship born of your wives to whom ye have gone in no prohibition if ye have not gone in, (those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins, and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

It is absolutely prohibited and illegal in Islam to marry the biological sister of one’s current wife. Such a marriage would not be recognized by Shariah, and the relationship between the man and the woman would be considered a relationship of manifest ‘zina’ and thus a grave and heinous sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Your Question: Should the children born off the 2nd sister be considered as `haraam` and ill-treated, because they were born out of a prohibited wedlock.
The children born as a result of the illegal relationship of the man with the second sister would indeed be illegitimate and ‘haraam’. These children would be recognized by the name of their biological mother, their mother would inherit from them and they would inherit only from their mother. Children born out of a illegitimate relationship would not be recognized nor called by the name of their father, nor would they inherit from their father, nor would their father inherit from them.

The children born out of an illegal relationship are absolutely innocent of the sin committed by their parents, and it would be a grave injustice in the Sight of Allah to ill-treat these innocent children in any way. They should be treated with honor, love, kindness, fairness, and justice that every believing son of Adam deserves.

Allah is our witness, any that ill-treats these innocent children only because of the heinous sin of their parents would be held severely accountable for their evil conduct in the Just and Majestic Presence of the Lord Almighty on an Inevitable Day.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan