Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I want to know about my child becuase i was pregnant before married but that time i was Hindu. I have convert to muslim when i was 4 months pregnant. What will happening to my child? Will she be sinful or not? Now i am teaching my child about Islam - she is now 4 years old.

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Answer:

Child before marriage wedlock unlawful

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: I want to know about my child becuase i was pregnant before married but that time i was Hindu. I have convert to muslim when i was 4 months pregnant.

'Amr ibn al-'As says: "When Allah guided me to Islam, I went to the Prophet (saws) and said to him: 'O Prophet of Allah (saws)! Stretch out your hand so that I may pledge my allegiance to you.' The Prophet (saws) stretched out his hand to me, but I withdrew my hand. The Prophet (saws) asked: 'O Amr! What is the matter with you?' I said: 'I would like to stipulate a condition!' The Prophet (saws) asked: 'What is it?' I said: 'That all my past sins be forgiven!' The Prophet (saws) said: 'O Amr! Do you not know that (acceptance of) Islam wipes off all past sins, and ‘Hijrah’ (leaving one’s home and hearth for Allah's Cause) wipes off all sins, and (similarly) Hajj wipes off all past sins!"'

Related by Muslim.

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, rest absolutely assured that your reversion to Islam wipes out all your past sins, whatever and however they may have been.

Your Question: What will happening to my child?

Beloved Sister, because you were pregnant before marriage, the truth is that this child will be considered an unlawful child in the Sight of Shariah. Even if you may have subsequently married the biological father of the child, because it was conceived out of wedlock, it will be considered unlawful, it will not be recognized by its biological father’s name, nor will the child inherit from its biological father, nor will its biological father inherit it; but rather the child will be recognized and called by its mother’s name, will inherit its mother, and its mother will inherit it.

Your Question: Will she be sinful or not?

Beloved Sister, Islam guides that every new-born child, regardless of whether it was born in marriage or out of wedlock, regardless of the belief of the parents it was born into, etc. is absolutely innocent, free from even an iota of a sin, and on the pure, perfect, and pristine ‘fitra’ or nature.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.298 Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "No child is born except on ‘Al-Fitra’ (pure, perfect and pristine nature of Islam) and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian or Magian, etc. Then he (saws) recited: "The religion of pure Islamic Faith (Hanifa, i.e. to worship none but Allah), The pure Allah's Islamic nature with which He (Allah) has created mankind. Let There be no change in Allah's religion (i.e. to join none in Allah's worship). That is the straight religion; but most of men know not..." (Holy Quran 30.30)

Islam guides that every child is born absolutely innocent, free from even an iota of a sin, and on the pure, perfect, and pristine ‘fitra’ or nature.

Even if the child was conceived out of wedlock, the child itself will be considered absolutely blameless of the deeds of its parents, nor will it share even an iota of the sins of its parents. The children born out of an illegal relationship are absolutely innocent of the sin committed by their parents, and it would be a grave injustice in the Sight of Allah to ill-treat or blame these innocent children in any way. They should be treated with honor, love, kindness, fairness, and justice that every believing son of Adam deserves.

Allah is our witness, any that ill-treats or blames these innocent children only because of the sin of their parents would be held severely accountable for their evil conduct in the Just and Majestic Presence of the Lord Almighty on an Inevitable Day.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan