Popular Islamic Cleric Issues Warning, Shares Why Muslims Must Deprioritise DNA Test, Expert Reacts

• Dr Sharafdeen Gbadebo warns Muslim couples against DNA testing, declaring it forbidden under Islamic law
• The cleric points to the Islamic procedure of Lian as the only acceptable way to resolve paternity doubts
• His remarks come as DNA testing gains popularity in Nigeria amid paternity fraud debates

A prominent Islamic cleric, Dr Sharafudeen Gbadebo, has cautioned Muslim couples against conducting DNA tests to determine the paternity of children, stressing that such practice is not allowed in Islam.

The scholar made this declaration during one of his recent lectures delivered in Yoruba language and monitored by a Legit.ng correspondent.

Islamic scholar rejects DNA paternity testing

According to him, Islam has already provided clear guidelines on the issue of paternity, and resorting to scientific methods such as DNA testing is both unnecessary and forbidden for Muslims.

Dr Gbadebo said:

“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.”

The cleric noted that Islam recognizes a procedure called Lian in cases where a husband questions the paternity of a child. He explained that Lian requires both husband and wife to take solemn oaths before God.

The husband, according to him, must swear by God four times that the child is not his, while invoking divine punishment if he lies.

Similarly, the wife must also swear four times that the child indeed belongs to the husband, asking God’s anger to befall her if she is lying.

Dr Gbadebo added that once this procedure is completed, the man is permanently stripped of the right to claim paternity of the child, and the marriage is automatically annulled.

“This procedure allows you to deny the paternity of a child you are sure is not yours as a Muslim. So why would a Muslim need DNA to determine paternity?

Let’s take for instance, two people engage in sex out of wedlock, and this led to giving birth to a child, is there any DNA test that would grant the man paternity of such a child in Islam? There is none. It is forbidden. That child will always be seen as a product of Zina,” he said.

The cleric further maintained that DNA tests, whether expensive or affordable, have no place in Islam.

“They even said it is expensive, even if it is for a token, a Muslim must not do it,” he stressed.

His remarks come at a time when DNA testing is becoming increasingly popular in Nigeria, especially in cases of suspected infidelity and paternity disputes.

Several viral cases of alleged paternity fraud have sparked heated conversations online, with many Nigerians debating whether DNA testing should be made compulsory at birth.

However, Dr Gbadebo insisted that for Muslims, the guidance of Islam remains superior to science in such matters.

Medical expert negates cleric

A scientist who is well-grounded in the medical practice has asserted that the Ogbomosho cleric's claims do not in any way taint the accuracy and reliability of the DNA test in determining the genuine parent of a child.

Miss Aisha Ahmad, a medical laboratory scientist at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital said:

“DNA test is 99% accurate if it is done correctly and at the right place. It is still the best way to determine paternity of children when in doubt.”

“Like you said, the man(Dr Gbadebo) is speaking from religious point of view and he is right to say DNA cannot legitimize illegitimate child in Islam. But that should not mean it is not accurate.”

25% of Nigerian fathers not biological parents

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a new report by Smart DNA, one of Nigeria’s leading genetic testing centres, had revealed that about 25 percent of paternity tests conducted in the country show that the presumed fathers are not the biological parents of the children involved.

The centre released its 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report in Lagos on Sunday, covering cases handled between July 2024 and June 2025.

Source: Legit.ng