A’ishah said “Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas and ‘Abd bin Zamah disputed amongst themselves about the (relationship of the) son of the slave girl of Zam’ah and brought the case to the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ. Sa’d said “My brother ‘Utbah enjoined me that when I came to Makkah I should see the son of the slave girl of Zam’ah and take his possession for that is his son”. ‘Abd bin Zam’ah said “He is my brother, the son of my father’s slave girl having been born on my father’s bed”. The Apostle of Allaah ﷺ saw his clear resemblance to ‘Utbah. So he said “The child is attributed to the one on whose bed it is born and the fornicator is deprived of any right (lit. the fornicator will have the stone). Veil yourself from him, Saudah. Musaddad added in his version “he is your brother ‘Abd”.  

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ اخْتَصَمَ سَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي ابْنِ أَمَةِ زَمْعَةَ فَقَالَ سَعْدٌ أَوْصَانِي أَخِي عُتْبَةُ إِذَا قَدِمْتُ مَكَّةَ أَنْ أَنْظُرَ إِلَى ابْنِ أَمَةِ زَمْعَةَ فَأَقْبِضَهُ فَإِنَّهُ ابْنُهُ وَقَالَ عَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ أَخِي ابْنُ أَمَةِ أَبِي وُلِدَ عَلَى فِرَاشِ أَبِي فَرَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَبَهًا بَيِّنًا بِعُتْبَةَ فَقَالَ الْوَلَدُ لِلْفِرَاشِ وَلِلْعَاهِرِ الْحَجَرُ وَاحْتَجِبِي عَنْهُ يَا سَوْدَةُ زَادَ مُسَدَّدٌ فِي حَدِيثِهِ وَقَالَ هُوَ أَخُوكَ يَا عَبْدُ  

A man got up and said: Messenger of Allah, so-and-so is my son; I had illicit intercourse with his mother in the pre-Islamic period. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There is no unlawful claiming of paternity in Islam. What was done in pre-Islamic times has been annulled. The child is attributed to the one on whose bed it is born, and the fornicator is deprived of any right.  

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ فُلاَنًا ابْنِي عَاهَرْتُ بِأُمِّهِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ دِعْوَةَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ ذَهَبَ أَمْرُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْوَلَدُ لِلْفِرَاشِ وَلِلْعَاهِرِ الْحَجَرُ  

My people married me to a Roman slave-girl of theirs. I had intercourse with her, and she gave birth to a black (male) child like me. I named it Abdullah. I again had intercourse with her, and she gave birth to a black (male) child like me. I named it Ubaydullah. Then a Roman slave of my people, called Yuhannah, incited her, and spoke to her in his own unintelligible language. She gave birth to a son like a chameleon (red). I asked her: What is this? She replied: This belongs to Yuhannah. We then brought the case to Uthman (for a decision). I think Mahdi said these words. He inquired from both of them, and they acknowledged (the facts). He then said to them: Do you agree that I take the decision about you, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had taken? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ decided that the child was to attributed to the one on whose bed it was born. And I think he said: He flogged her and flogged him, for they were slaves.  

زَوَّجَنِي أَهْلِي أَمَةً لَهُمْ رُومِيَّةً فَوَقَعْتُ عَلَيْهَا فَوَلَدَتْ غُلاَمًا أَسْوَدَ مِثْلِي فَسَمَّيْتُهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ وَقَعْتُ عَلَيْهَا فَوَلَدَتْ غُلاَمًا أَسْوَدَ مِثْلِي فَسَمَّيْتُهُ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ طَبَنَ لَهَا غُلاَمٌ لأَهْلِي رُومِيٌّ يُقَالُ لَهُ يُوحَنَّهْ فَرَاطَنَهَا بِلِسَانِهِ فَوَلَدَتْ غُلاَمًا كَأَنَّهُ وَزَغَةٌ مِنَ الْوَزَغَاتِ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا مَا هَذَا فَقَالَتْ هَذَا لِيُوحَنَّهْ فَرَفَعْنَا إِلَى عُثْمَانَ أَحْسِبُهُ قَالَ مَهْدِيٌّ قَالَ فَسَأَلَهُمَا فَاعْتَرَفَا فَقَالَ لَهُمَا أَتَرْضَيَانِ أَنْ أَقْضِيَ بَيْنَكُمَا بِقَضَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَضَى أَنَّ الْوَلَدَ لِلْفِرَاشِ وَأَحْسِبُهُ قَالَ فَجَلَدَهَا وَجَلَدَهُ وَكَانَا مَمْلُوكَيْنِ