Shafi'ie Fiqh: Marriage with Illegitimate Daughter is Allowed معاذ الله

Allah (Jalla Jalalahu) gives us very clear instructions in His Book, the Qur'an Majid, about who we can and cannot enter into marriage with:

حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَیۡکُمۡ اُمَّہٰتُکُمۡ وَ بَنٰتُکُمۡ وَ اَخَوٰتُکُمۡ وَ عَمّٰتُکُمۡ وَ خٰلٰتُکُمۡ وَ بَنٰتُ الۡاَخِ وَ بَنٰتُ الۡاُخۡتِ وَ اُمَّہٰتُکُمُ الّٰتِیۡۤ اَرۡضَعۡنَکُمۡ وَ اَخَوٰتُکُمۡ مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَۃِ وَ اُمَّہٰتُ نِسَآئِکُمۡ وَ رَبَآئِبُکُمُ الّٰتِیۡ فِیۡ حُجُوۡرِکُمۡ مِّنۡ نِّسَآئِکُمُ الّٰتِیۡ دَخَلۡتُمۡ بِہِنَّ

Translation: Forbidden for you (in marriage) are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your nieces, your mothers who suckled you, your sisters through suckling, your mother-in-laws, and your step-daughters under your guardianship from your wives with whom you have had relations with (4:23)

But regrettably, those who blindly-follow the Shafi'ie school of thought, ignoring the clear teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah, hold that it is possible for a man to enter into marriage with his illegitimate (bastard) daughter (God forbid!). Muhammad b. Idris ash-Shafi'ie says:

وَأَكْرَهُ لَهُ فِي الْوَرَعِ أَنْ يَنْكِحَ بَنَاتِ الَّذِي وَلَدَهُ مِنْ زِنًا ، فَإِنْ نَكَحَ لَمْ أَفْسَخْهُ

Translation: It is Makruh (disliked) for a man to marry his daughter born out of wedlock, through Zina (fornication). But if he marries her, the marriage is not void.

Reference: Kitab ul Umm; vol.6, p. 84

 

**Comment: From this we can see how the Shafi'ie madhhab allows for incest, and directly violates the commandment of the Qur'an “Forbidden for you are your daughters” (4:23)

Similarly, Imam Nawawi (a Shafi'ie scholar) confirms the ruling of his madhhab. In his book Minhaj ut Talibin, under the chapter of prohibited marriages, he writes:

وَالْمَخْلُوقَةُ مِنْ زِنَاهُ تَحِلُّ لَهُ

Translation: “The product (daughter) of his fornication is allowed for him (in marriage).”

Reference: Minhaj ut Talibin; Babo Ma Yahromo min an-Nikah, p.383