Does a man's acknowledgment of paternity apply to a child brought by a woman returning from enemy territory (Dar al-Rum)?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Acknowledgment of Rights

Book 20 · Issue 1 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

Paternity is established for the man who acknowledges a child brought by a woman returning from the land of the Romans (*Dar al-Rum*), provided there is no contender (*munazi*). This is due to the possibility (*imkan*), as the child could have been conceived either when the man entered their land or when the woman entered the land of Islam and he had intercourse with her. Paternity is treated with caution to establish it. For instance, if a woman gives birth to a man's child after twenty years of his absence, the lineage is established for him even if his return or her departure from her home is unknown.