If a man acknowledges his paternity of a child (even) for a moment, he has no right to deny it (later)

Arabic text

عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه قال: "إذا أقرَّ الرجل بولده طَرْفَةَ عين فليس له أن ينفيه".

Translation

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If a man acknowledges his paternity of a child (even) for a moment, he has no right to deny it (later)."

Explanation

This report indicates that if a man acknowledges his paternity of a child, he has no right to deny this paternity or the child’s attribution to him later. This is because paternity is one of the rights that is established by acknowledgment, and a subsequent denial or negation is not acceptable.

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Family Jurisprudence
• Oath of Condemnation
• Rulings of Newborns