Nor does liʿān apply when the accuser is mute.

If the husband says, “The child you are carrying is not mine,” no liʿān is conducted between them. But if he declares, “You committed adultery and this pregnancy is the result of that adultery,” then liʿān is performed, yet the judge does not disaffiliate the unborn child.

When a man disclaims paternity of his wife’s newborn immediately after delivery—whether at the moment when congratulations are normally offered or when items customarily purchased for the newborn are bought—his denial is effective and liʿān is carried out on that basis. If he disclaims paternity after that window, liʿān is still performed but the child’s lineage remains established.

Abū Yūsuf and Muḥammad maintain that the denial remains valid throughout the post-partum period (nifās).

If she bears twins in a single pregnancy and he denies the first while acknowledging the second, paternity is confirmed for both children and the husband is subject to the ḥadd penalty. Conversely, if he acknowledges the first and denies the second, paternity is likewise confirmed for both, but liʿān is carried out.