BIOGRAPHY OF THE PROPHET ﷺ......
PART:-•••••• 32...
It would even become clear that the man from whom she had had sexual intercourse (i.e. committed adultery) had become pregnant. When the pregnancy was clear, if the husband wanted, he would go to that woman. This was done so that a noble and perfect boy would be born. This marriage was called Nikah Istiba' (and it is called Niyog in India).
The third form of marriage was that a group of less than ten men would gather. All of them would go to the same woman and commit adultery. When that woman became pregnant and gave birth to a child, a few nights after the birth, that woman would send an invitation to everyone and everyone had to come. There was no way that anyone would not come. After that, that woman would say, "You people know what was the matter with you people. Now a child has been born from my womb and O so-and-so, he is your son." The woman would name whatever she wanted and he would be accepted as her son.
The fourth marriage was that many people would gather and go to a woman. She would not refuse anyone who came to her. These were prostitutes who would hang flags on their doors so that they would serve as a sign and whoever should go to them would go without hesitation. When such a woman became pregnant and gave birth to a child, everyone would gather around her and call a fortune teller. The fortune teller would match the boy with any person according to his opinion. Then he would be matched with him and be called his son. He could not refuse him...
When Allah Almighty sent Muhammad (peace be upon him), all the marriages of the pre-Islamic period were destroyed. Only Islamic marriage remained, which is the rule today. (Sahih Bukhari: Kitab al-Nikaah, Chapter 11, “Whoever says that marriage is not permissible except by speaking,” 769/2 and Abu Dawood: Chapter 12, “The Reasons for Marriage”)
Continued......