Two men who have intercourse with a woman in one period of purity, and both claim the child: who inherits from him?

Hanash said: A man had intercourse with a slave girl, then sold her to another man, and he too had intercourse with her, so both of them had intercourse with her in one period of purity. After that she gave birth to a boy, and they came to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with this matter. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "That child will inherit from you both and will not belong to his mother, and he will belong to whichever of you remains, in the position of his mother."

Al-Sha'bi said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) ruled, concerning two men who had intercourse with a woman in one period of purity and she bore a child, that this child should be shared between the two of them, in that the child will inherit from both of them and both of them will inherit from the child, and he will go to whichever of the two lives longer.

Al-Sha'bi said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ruled concerning this child according to the statement of the qafah (experts in tracing lineage from physical features).

Ibrahim said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) summoned the slave girl and asked: "Of which of these two is this child?" She said: "I do not know; both of them had intercourse with me in one period of purity." So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) apportioned him between the two of them.

Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when a man came from Yemen, while Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was in Yemen. He began to tell the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) things and give him news. He said: "O Messenger of Allah! Three men came to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and began to dispute about a child, each claiming that he was his son, as they had all had intercourse with one woman in one period of purity. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'You are quarrelling partners, and I will cast lots among you. The one whose name the lot falls on, the child will be his, and he will be obliged to pay two-thirds of the blood money to his two companions.'" He said: Then he cast lots among them, gave the child to the one whose name the lot fell on, and made two-thirds of the blood money binding on him. At this he (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed until his back molars or his molars became visible.

Abd al-Rahman bin Hatib narrates that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave a ruling concerning two men who each claimed the lineage of a man of unknown parentage. He said to that man of unknown parentage: "Go with whichever of the two you wish."