real fathers is Ḥarām and leads to Hell. Divorcees and widows should not ruin their afterlife by keeping their children in the dark about their real fathers. It is not wrong for a child to call him (step-father) dad as long as everyone knows that he is not his ‘biological father’. However, if he shows this ‘dad’ to be his real father then he is a sinner and deserves Hell.

Shaykh-ul-Ḥadīš, Maulānā ‘Abdul Mustafa A’ẓamī عَـلَيْهِ رَحْـمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ الۡـقَـوِی said: These days many people call themselves Ṣiddīqī, Fārūqī, ‘Ušmānī, Sayyid! They should consider what huge sandpit of sins they are stuck in. May our Merciful Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ make these people tread the straight path and make them repent from this Ḥarām deed leading to Hell. (Āmīn) (Jaĥannam kay Khaṭrāt, pp. 182)

Question: مَـعَـاذَ الـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ, marrying a daughter to a religiously devout man or boy is considered inferior in our society, and people assume that the only reason she is married to a religious person is because no one else wanted to marry her. What do you say about this common perception and does this degradation affect the standard of Kufw?

Answer: Any opinion that contradicts the Quran and Ḥadīš is totally unacceptable and unworthy of consideration. Islam encourages its followers to prefer religion and piety over all other qualities. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: A woman is married due to four reasons (1) wealth (2) family lineage (3) beauty (4) religion, and you give preference to a religious woman.

(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, vol. 3, pp. 429, Ḥadīš 5090)

As well as mentioning the selection of a wife, this Ḥadīš states the preference of Islam and the priority and happiness of Allah’s Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰى عَـلَيْـهِ وَاٰلـِهٖ وَسَـلَّم, i.e. religious devotion holds highest priority. Even when selecting a husband, if all other conditions of