Killing a child born of fornication out of ignorance
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Q: A woman from the desert, advanced in age, came to you, O honorable Shaykh, and informed you that another woman had given her a child born of fornication. She said to her,
“The mother of the child: Take this child and hide him from me.” So this elderly woman killed this child in the wilderness out of her ignorance and lack of knowledge of the ruling on killing. This incident occurred about forty years ago. What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding what is obligatory upon this elderly woman, and what should she do, given her age, to expiate for this act?
A: What the asking woman did is one of the greatest crimes, as she intentionally killed an innocent soul that had not committed anything warranting its killing. Expiation is not prescribed for her, because what she did is of such magnitude that expiation cannot cover it. It is incumbent upon her to make sincere repentance and to do many good deeds, hoping that this will be a cause for the forgiveness of her sin. Let her remember the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Furqan 25:68-70] As for what is obligatory upon the killing woman regarding the rights of humans, which is retaliation or blood money, that is referred to the court.
“The mother of the child: Take this child and hide him from me.” So this elderly woman killed this child in the wilderness out of her ignorance and lack of knowledge of the ruling on killing. This incident occurred about forty years ago. What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding what is obligatory upon this elderly woman, and what should she do, given her age, to expiate for this act?
A: What the asking woman did is one of the greatest crimes, as she intentionally killed an innocent soul that had not committed anything warranting its killing. Expiation is not prescribed for her, because what she did is of such magnitude that expiation cannot cover it. It is incumbent upon her to make sincere repentance and to do many good deeds, hoping that this will be a cause for the forgiveness of her sin. Let her remember the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(68) And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. (69) Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - (70) Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
وَالَّذِينَ لا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلا بِالْحَقِّ وَلا يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا (68) يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا (69) إِلا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلا صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.