If a master claims *Istibra'* and the slave subsequently bears twins, confessing paternity for one and negating it for the other, what is the ruling?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Mutual Imprecation (Li'an)

Book 43 · Issue 6 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If the master claims *Istibra'* and the slave bears twins, and he admits the parentage of one while negating the other, both children are legally affiliated to him. This is because it is impossible to attribute one twin to him and the other to a different man, as they are considered one pregnancy, and he cannot negate the parentage of the child he admitted. Therefore, both must be affiliated to him. Similarly, if a slave woman whom he had not admitted intimacy with bears twins, and he admits one while negating the other, both are affiliated to him under the same reasoning.