Denying Paternity and Whether It Constitutes False Accusation of Adultery

The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Regarding the statement of the author (may Allah have mercy on him) where a man says, "But this child is not mine." The question is: How is this not a false accusation of adultery (qadhf) when he has disavowed the child? Is this not an accusation that she is from another man?

The Shaykh:
My brother, this is not a false accusation of adultery. It is possible that she was coerced or forced, or that she was impregnated by the semen of another man. A false accusation of adultery must be explicit, with no room for any other possibility.

The questioner:
He says: Honorable.

The Shaykh:
A person should reflect before asking, so as not to burden himself with the question. Merely denying paternity does not indicate a false accusation of adultery, because she may have been coerced, or she may have been impregnated by something other than his semen, or by other such possibilities. Yes.