A renowned Islamic scholar, Dr. Sharafdeen Gbadebo, has cautioned Muslim couples against taking DNA tests to authenticate the fatherhood of a child, pointing out that doing so would be against the law in Islam.
Speaking during a recent lecture delivered in Yoruba, Dr. Gbadebo noted that the rising trend of DNA testing in Nigeria, especially in cases of suspected adultery and paternity disputes, is in contravention of Islamic principles.
He explained that Islam already has established and sufficient teachings regarding matters of lineage and paternity so that the use of scientific methods like DNA testing is not needed and religiously inappropriate.
“Why would you (Muslims) do DNA test? Islam does not allow us to doubt the paternity of a child conceived by a wife legally married. This is why it is said that the man who owns a wife owns the children she gives birth to. The position of Islam is that anybody that engages in fornication or adultery with a woman will be entitled to nothing,” he said.
