[Q 487] Prayer Behind a Child of Zina

QUESTION:

Is this true and is there any daleel for this:
A child (boy) born out of a naa jaaiz relationship (zina), when he grows up, he must not be appointed as Imam so as people do not feel disgusted to pray behind him.
Please clarify on this matter.

ANSWER:

Performing Salah behind walad-uz-zina (a child born out of zina) is makrooh tanzeehi (mildly disliked), because people feel aversion towards him, and due to this the congregation may decrease. However, if this person is muttaqi (pious) or an ‘alim-e-deen (scholar of religion), then even this dislike no longer remains.

As mentioned:

“(وولد الزنا) اذ لیس لہ اب یربیہ ویؤدبہ ویعلمہ فیغلب علیہ الجھل بحر اوالنفرۃ الناس عنہ”

(Shamiyah, vol. 1, p. 315)

But what was discussed in Bahr is explicitly stated in Ikhtiyar, where it says:

“ولو عدمت أی علۃ الکراھۃ بان کان الاعرابی افضل من الحضری والعبد من الحرو ولدالزنا من ولد الرشدۃ الا عمیٰ من البصیر فالحکم بالضد”

(Shamiyah, vol. 1, p. 414)

والله أعلم ورسوله أعلم بالصواب

Answered by: Usman Madani (AskMufti Scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 28th September 2025