Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas and Abd b. Zam'a (Allah be pleased with them) disputed with each other over a young boy. Sa'd said: Messenger of Allah, he is the son of my brother 'Utba b. Abu Waqqas as he made it explicit that he was his son. Look at his resemblance. Abd b. Zam'a said Messenger of Allah, he is my brother as he was born on the bed of my father from his slave-girl. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) looked at his resemblance and found a clear resemblance with 'Utba. (But) he said: "He is yours O 'Abd (b. Zam'a), for the child is to be attributed to one on whose bed it is born, and stoning for a fornicator. Sauda bint Zam'a, O you should observe veil from him." So he did not see Sauda at all. Muhammad b. Rumh did not make a mention (of the words): "O Abd."
The Book of Suckling - Sahih Muslim 1457 a
This narration from Sahih Muslim addresses fundamental principles of lineage and family law in Islam, establishing clear guidelines for determining parentage and mahram relationships.
The Dispute Over Lineage
The case involves Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Abd ibn Zam'a disputing over a young boy's parentage. Sa'd claims the child belongs to his deceased brother Utba, citing explicit acknowledgment and physical resemblance. Abd counters that the child was born to his father's slave-girl on his father's bed, making him his brother.
The Prophet ﷺ observed the physical resemblance to Utba but ruled according to the established Islamic principle: "The child belongs to the bed," meaning paternity is attributed to the husband of the woman on whose bed the child is born, protecting legitimate lineages.
Legal Principles Established
The ruling establishes that physical resemblance alone cannot override the fundamental principle of attributing children to the marital bed. This protects the sanctity of marriage and prevents confusion in lineage.
The mention of "stoning for a fornicator" serves as a deterrent against illicit relationships that could disrupt established family structures and create disputes over lineage.
Implications for Mahram Relationships
By declaring the boy as Abd's brother, the Prophet ﷺ established that Sauda bint Zam'a (Abd's sister) must observe hijab from the boy, as he is now her non-mahram brother through legal attribution.
This demonstrates how legal rulings on lineage directly affect mahram relationships, governing interactions between men and women in Islamic society.