Visiting a non-Muslim sister who delivered a child out of wedlock

11-1-2016 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am a Muslimah and have a non-Muslim sister who became pregnant through fornication. She is in the delivery stage and still fornicates and uses illegal drugs, although she hasn't used them recently. Should I visit her in the hospital, especially given that she has no intention of accepting Islam? And will visiting her be considered congratulating for a sinful deed? Please note that the fornicating father will be present at the hospital.

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. 

Islamic law deems it allowable for the Muslim to show kindness towards non-Muslims; Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Allaah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allaah loves those who act justly.} [Quran 60:8] Hence, there is no religious impediment to visiting your non-Muslim sister, and such a visit in itself is not considered congratulating her on her sin.

It is advisable that you take advantage of your visit and try to win her over and encourage her to consider embracing Islam; hopefully, she may be guided to Islam through you. Verily, such an act would be generously rewarded by Allaah; it has been narrated on the authority of ʻAli  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, “By Allaah, that Allaah guides one man through you (to Islam) is better for you than having the red camels (the most valuable camels).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It is known that the child who is born out of wedlock is attributed to his mother and has no legal relationship with the man with whom the mother has committed fornication (biological father) as per Islamic law, as previously highlighted in fatwa 84788.

Allaah knows best.

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