DIVORCE SECTION · 28 – A MAN DOUBTING WHETHER A CHILD IS HIS OWN
2260 – It is narrated from Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: A man from the sons of Fazāra (Zamzam ibn Katāda) came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “My wife has given birth to a black child.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, “Do you have a camel?” The man said, “Yes.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “What is their color?” The man said, “They are red.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Is there a dappled one among them?” The man said, “There is a dappled one among them.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “What do you think is the reason for that?” The man said, “Perhaps a vein has prevailed and it has resembled its origin.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Perhaps this child has been overtaken by a vein that already exists in your ancestry, and so he has become black.” [209]
EXPLANATION
This noble hadith is evidence that a child’s color being different alone is not sufficient for denial (of paternity). Because, in a child, a color present on either the mother’s or the father’s side may prevail, and the child’s color becomes like that. The child’s color being different does not necessitate that he is from someone else. (The Mendelian laws in biology were thus reported by the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) 1400 years ago.)
2261 – Ma‘mar narrated to us. Ma‘mar also transmitted from al-Zuhrī with the same chain and the same meaning, and said: The man from Fazāra was trying to reject (the child) by insinuation.
2262 – It is narrated from Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): A Bedouin came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: My wife has given birth to a black child, and I do not accept him. (He then) mentioned the meaning of the previous hadith.
EXPLANATION
The Bedouin mentioned in the hadith is Zamzam. "Unkiru" means: I do not accept him.