Q: Please tell me what will be the correct way forward approved by shariah in the situations mentioned below:
1. Married man who is married for 8 years became a father in 3rd year of marriage, whereas when the first year of marriage was completed he started doubting the authenticity of the Quran being divine and the preserved word of Allah. Though this individual started having doubts, became uncertain of Islam’s truth, yet continued praying salaah regularly and observing other rituals believing he is still in the fold of Islam. Apparently doubting Islam (I am saying this as I’m not aware of the correct ruling) makes a Muslim a kaafir, but what about a person who is ignorant about the ruling that doubting and uncertainty in Islam being true invalidates the faith of an individual.
Very importantly what will be the status of the nikaah and child born after the phase of uncertainty in Islam and doubting Quran’s preservation started, as I reiterate again he was not aware that such doubts can make him a kaafir.
Will a person be excused for his ignorance if he continued his life without a fresh nikaah and begetting children?
Is the child deemed to be Islamically legitimate? Considering the fact the biological father was unaware that doubts have invalidated his Islam.
2. The same married man, sometime before the birth of his child uttered some kufriya statements which were critical of Islam and similarly like in the first situation was not aware that his Islam is invalidated because of such a statement, hence did not renew his nikaah.
Is the child born in such a union considered Islamically legitimate when his/her parents were unaware of the correct sharee ruling, moved on with their lives without renewing their nikaah?
A: If his belief was that the Quraan is not the word of Allah Ta'ala and that Islam is not the true religion, then through this he will come out of the fold of Islam.
He will have to renew his imaan and seek forgiveness from Allah Ta'ala for these wrong beliefs.
He will have to renew his nikaah and if he did his hajj, he will have to repeat his hajj if he has the means.
If the child was born before he had these wrong beliefs, then the child will be legitimate and attributed to him. However, if the child was born after he left the fold of Islam, then the child will be attributed to the mother.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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