Fatwa ID: 09164
Answered by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Question:
“What are the Islamic options for a Muslim husband residing in a non-Muslim country who suspects his wife’s pregnancy is not his?”
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
He may either remain married to her or he may divorce her in accordance to the Sunnah by issuing her one Talaq and waiting for three menstrual cycles to pass [1]. While Li’an is an option that might be offered by some Masajid or Shariah Councils, there is little benefit to it in a non-Muslim country besides preventing the child from inheriting in the future [2].
However, he should not suspect his wife without sound evidence [3]. If he has no sound logical reason to support his claim, then he should not act upon such suspicions which he may later come to regret immensely.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
بِأَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا وَاحِدَةً فِي الطُّهْرِ الْمَذْكُورِ فَقَطْ وَهُوَ السُّنِّيُّ الْأَحْسَنُ
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 232, Darul Fikr
[2]
وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلَّا أَنفُسُهُمْ فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ۞ وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ۞ وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ أَن تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ۞ وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
Surah An-Nur 6-9
[3]
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Surah Al-Hujurat 12