Doubting The Child's Paternity

Abu Hurairah said A man from Banu Fazarah came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said “My wife has given birth to a black son”. He said “Have you any camels?” He said “They are red”. He asked “Is there a dusky one among them?” He replied “Some of them are dusky”. He asked “How do you think they have come about?” He replied “This may be a strain to which they reverted”. He said “And this is perhaps a strain to which the child has reverted.”

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ بَنِي فَزَارَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ امْرَأَتِي جَاءَتْ بِوَلَدٍ أَسْوَدَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ لَكَ مِنْ إِبِلٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا أَلْوَانُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ حُمْرٌ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَهَلْ فِيهَا مِنْ أَوْرَقَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ إِنَّ فِيهَا لَوُرْقًا ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَأَنَّى تُرَاهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ نَزَعَهُ عِرْقٌ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَهَذَا عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ نَزَعَهُ عِرْقٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The tradition mentioned above has also been narrated by Al Zuhri through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds “At that time he was hinting at disowning the child.”

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِإِسْنَادِهِ وَمَعْنَاهُ قَالَ وَهُوَ حِينَئِذٍ يُعَرِّضُ بِأَنْ يَنْفِيَهُ ‏.‏

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

A bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ), and said: My wife has given birth to a black son, and I disown him. He then narrated the rest of the tradition to the same effect.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنَّ امْرَأَتِي وَلَدَتْ غُلاَمًا أَسْوَدَ وَإِنِّي أُنْكِرُهُ ‏.‏ فَذَكَرَ مَعْنَاهُ ‏.‏