A well-known Islamic cleric, Dr. Sharafdeen Gbadebo, has warned Muslim couples against the use of DNA tests to confirm a child’s paternity, stressing that the practice is not permitted under Islamic law.
His comments come at a time when DNA testing is becoming increasingly popular in Nigeria, often sought in cases of infidelity suspicions or paternity disputes. Speaking recently in Yoruba during a public lecture, Dr. Gbadebo explained that Islam already provides clear rules on paternity, making DNA testing both unnecessary and un-Islamic.
“Why would Muslims do DNA tests?” he asked. “Islam does not permit doubting the paternity of a child born within a legal marriage. A man who lawfully owns a wife also owns the children she gives birth to. Anyone who commits fornication or adultery with a married woman cannot make any claims over her children.”
Dr. Gbadebo went further to explain the concept of Lian in Islam, a procedure that comes into play if a husband questions the paternity of a child. In this process, both husband and wife are required to take oaths before God. The husband swears four times that the child is not his, invoking God’s punishment if he lies, while the wife swears four times that the child belongs to her husband. Afterward, the man permanently forfeits any right to claim the child, and the marriage is dissolved.
Giving an example, the cleric stated: “If two people commit fornication outside marriage and a child comes out of it, is there any DNA test in Islam that can give the man paternity rights? There is none. That child will always be regarded as a product of zina (fornication).” He insisted that whether cheap or costly, DNA testing has no place in Islam, urging Muslims to rely on religious rulings instead of scientific methods in such sensitive matters.
Medical Expert Defends DNA Accuracy
Offering a contrasting perspective, a medical scientist from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Miss Aisha Ahmad, affirmed that DNA testing remains one of the most reliable tools for confirming biological parentage.
“A properly conducted DNA test is 99% accurate,” she said. “It is still the best method to resolve doubts about paternity.”
Ahmad acknowledged the cleric’s position as valid within the boundaries of religion but clarified that it does not negate the scientific credibility of DNA technology. “From the Islamic point of view, DNA cannot legitimize a child conceived outside marriage, and that is correct. But that doesn’t mean the science is not accurate,” she added.
