nor by any other mandatory interruption—such as the Eid day, menstruation, or a threatening illness—nor by eating or drinking out of forgetfulness, under duress, or for an excuse that Islamic law allows. The sequence is, however, broken the moment he has intercourse with the wife over whom he pronounced ẓihār, in every circumstance.

If he is unable even to fast, he must feed sixty needy persons, giving each one mudd of wheat or half a sāʿ of any other staple that is acceptable for zakāt al-fiṭr. Simply hosting the poor for a morning or evening meal does not suffice, and intention is required for the entire act of expiation.

Chapter on Liʿān (Mutual Imprecation)

Anyone who accuses his legally accountable wife of adultery may have the prescribed punishment lifted by resorting to liʿān. He first says, four times in Arabic if he is able:
“I testify by Allah that my wife—this one here” (or he names and identifies her if she is absent) “has committed adultery.” On the fifth time he adds, “and that the curse of Allah be upon me if I am lying.”

She then responds by saying four times:
“I testify by Allah that he is lying in what he has accused me of concerning adultery,”
and on the fifth she adds, “and that the wrath of Allah be upon me if he is telling the truth.”

Once the procedure is complete, the ḥadd penalty and any discretionary punishment are waived for him; she becomes forever unlawful to him—even if he later retracts his claim—and the child’s paternity is disavowed if he mentioned the child, whether explicitly or implicitly, during the liʿān.

Section

If the wife of a boy ten years of age or older gives birth at least six months after it became physically possible for them to be together, or within four years of their separation, the child’s lineage is attributed to him. Doubt about whether the boy had reached puberty does not affect this ruling.