Declaring oneself to be illegitimate

Question

Question: A man says, “I am illegitimate (walad al-haram).” Does this sin lie upon me, or upon my mother?

Answer

Has the one saying this verified that he is illegitimate? If he has verified it, and his mother, admitting to zina (fornication), has told him so herself, then the mother is the sinner. If he has not verified it, then the speaker himself is the sinner, since he is accusing his own mother of zina.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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