Chapter on the Inheritance of the Child of Adultery

كَتَبَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِي ع مَعِي يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ فَجَرَ بِامْرَأَةٍ فَحَمَلَتْ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَهَا بَعْدَ الْحَمْلِ فَجَاءَتْ بِوَلَدٍ وَ الْوَلَدُ أَشْبَهُ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ بِهِ فَكَتَبَ ع بِخَطِّهِ وَ خَاتَمِهِ الْوَلَدُ لِغَيَّةٍ لَا يُورَثُ[3].

One of our companions wrote to Abu Ja'far Al-Thani (as) through me, asking Imam (as) about a man who committed adultery with a woman, and she became pregnant. Later, he married her after the pregnancy, and she gave birth to a child who resembled him more than anyone else in creation. Imam (as) wrote back in his own han

لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ كَمْ دِيَةُ وَلَدِ الزِّنَا قَالَ يُعْطَى الَّذِي أَنْفَقَ عَلَيْهِ مَا أَنْفَقَ عَلَيْهِ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ مَاتَ وَ لَهُ مَالٌ فَمَنْ يَرِثُهُ قَالَ الْإِمَامُ‌[4]. وَ قَدْ رُوِيَ‌ أَنَّ دِيَةَ وَلَدِ الزِّنَا ثَمَانُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ مِيرَاثُهُ كَمِيرَاثِ ابْنِ الْمُلَاعَنَةِ[1].

I asked Imam (as): "May I be your ransom, what is the blood money (diyyah) for a child born out of fornication?" Imam (as) replied: "The one who spent on him is to be given what he spent on him." I asked: "If the child dies and has wealth, who inherits it?" He (as) said: "The Imam." It has also been narrated: "The bloo