Skip to content
Explained ḥadīths

Women Unlawful to Marry

4 ḥadīths

Even if she was not my stepdaughter whom I raised, she would still be unlawful for me because she is my niece through suckling. Thuwaybah breastfed me and Abu Salāmah (her father). So, do not offer me your daughters or sisters

عن أم حبيبة بنت أبي سفيان رضي الله عنهما قالت: قلت يا رسول الله، انكح أختي ابنة أبي سفيان. قال: أو تحبين ذلك؟ فقلت: نعم؛ لست لك بمُخْلِيَةٍ، وأحَبُّ من شاركني في خير أختي. فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : إن ذلك لا يحل لي. قالت: إنا نُحَدَّثُ أنك تريد أن تنكح بنت أبي سلمة. قال: بنت أم سلمة؟! قالت: قلت: نعم، قال: إنها لو لم تكن ربيبتي في حَجْرِي، ما حلت لي؛ إنها لابنة أخي من الرضاعة، أرضعتني وأبا سلمة ثويبةُ؛ فلا تعرضن علي بناتكن ولا أخواتكن. قال عروة: وثويبة مولاة لأبي لهب أعتقها، فأرضعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فلما مات أبو لهب رآه بعض أهله بشرِّ حِيبة، فقال له: ماذا لقيت؟ قال أبو لهب: لم ألق بعدكم خيرًا، غير أني سقيت في هذه بعتاقتي ثويبة.
Umm Habībah bint Abu Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that she said: "O Messenger of Allah, marry my sister, the daughter of Abu Sufyān." He said: "Would you like that?" I said: "Yes, for I cannot have you for myself alone, and I like my sister to be the one who shares with me that goodness." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is not lawful for me." She said: "We heard that you want to marry the daughter of Abu Salamah." He said: "The daughter of Umm Salamah?" She said: 'Yes.' He said: "Even if she was not my stepdaughter whom I raised, she would still be unlawful for me because she is my niece through suckling. Thuwaybah breastfed me and Abu Salamah (her father). So, do not offer me your daughters or sisters (in marriage)." ‘Urwah said that Thuwaybah was an emancipated slave girl of Abu Lahab, and she breastfed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). When Abu Lahab died, one of his family members saw him in a vision in an awful state. He said to him: "What did you find?" Abu Lahab said: "I found no good after you, except that I have been given water to drink in this (the space between his thumb and other fingers) and that is because of my emancipation of Thuwaybah."
Narrated by Bukhari & MuslimGradeAuthentic hadith
Explanation

Umm Habībah, the daughter of Abu Sufyān, is one of the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them all), and she was ecstatic about her marriage to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So she asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to marry her sister. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) expressed wonder at her request, due to women’s extreme jealousy regarding the matter, as she would allow herself to have a co-wife. Hence, he asked her in astonishment: Would you like that? And she replied in the affirmative. Then, she explained to him the reason why she wanted him to marry her sister. It was inevitable that she would have to share him with other women and that she would not be his only wife, so she wanted her sister to be the one who would share this great goodness with her . It was as if she was not aware of the prohibition of being married to two sisters at the same time. That is why the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed her that her sister was not lawful for him. Then, she told him that she heard that he would marry the daughter of Abu Salamah. So to be sure, he asked her: Do you mean the daughter of Umm Salamah? She said: Yes. Then, in order to clarify the falsehood of this rumor, he told her that the daughter of Umm Salamah was not lawful for him for two reasons: First: she is his stepdaughter whom he has brought up, because she is his wife’s daughter. Second: she is his niece through suckling, because Thuwaybah, the ex-slave girl of Abu Lahab, had breastfed him and her father Abu Salamah. So, he is her paternal uncle as well. So, he instructed them not offer him their daughters or sisters in marriage, for he knows better how to manage his affairs in this regard.

Reference

- صحيح البخاري –الجامع الصحيح-؛ للإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. - الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام للشيخ إسماعيل الأنصاري-مطبعة السعادة-الطبعة الثانية 1392ه. - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام-عبد الله البسام-تحقيق محمد صبحي حسن حلاق- مكتبة الصحابة- الشارقة- الطبعة العاشرة- 1426ه.

This ḥadīth at HadeethEnc.com

One may not combine in marriage a woman and her paternal aunt, or a woman and her maternal aunt

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه مرفوعاً: «لا يجُمَعُ بين المرأة وعمتها، ولا بين المرأة وخالتها».
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One may not combine in marriage a woman and her paternal aunt, or a woman and her maternal aunt."
Narrated by Bukhari & MuslimGradeAuthentic hadith
Explanation

The pure Shariah of Islam came with everything that is good and upright, and is against everything that involves harm and evil. It encourages affinity, love, and affection, and prohibits aloofness, severance of relations, and hatred. When Allah permitted polygamy due to the benefit it may entail, and given the fact that the wives' living together with the man usually causes enmity and hatred among them because of jealousy, for this reason Allah has prohibited marrying a woman and certain close relatives of hers, for fear of severing the relations between relatives. Allah has made it impermissible for a man to marry two sisters at the same time, to marry a paternal or maternal aunt and her niece as well, or any pair of women who, if it is supposed that one of them is a male and the other is a female, they would be prohibited from marrying each other due to blood relationship. This Hadīth restricts the general indication of Allah's statement (which means): {And lawful to you are [all others] beyond these.}

Reference

- صحيح البخاري –الجامع الصحيح-؛ للإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. - الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام للشيخ إسماعيل الأنصاري-مطبعة السعادة-الطبعة الثانية 1392ه. - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام-عبد الله البسام-تحقيق محمد صبحي حسن حلاق- مكتبة الصحابة- الشارقة- الطبعة العاشرة- 1426ه. - خلاصة الكلام شرح عمدة الأحكام- فيصل بن عبد العزيز بن فيصل ابن حمد المبارك الحريملي النجدي - الطبعة: الثانية، 1412 هـ - 1992 م.

This ḥadīth at HadeethEnc.com

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning the daughter of Hamzah: She is not lawful for me (to marry). That which is unlawful due to lineage (blood relation) is unlawful due to breastfeeding. She is the daughter of my foster-brother.

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في بنت حمزة: «لَا تَحِلُّ لِي يَحْرُمُ من الرَّضَاعِ مَا يَحْرُمُ من النَّسَبِ وهي ابنة أَخِي من الرَّضاعة».
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning the daughter of Hamzah: ''She is not lawful for me (to marry). That which is unlawful due to lineage (blood relation) is unlawful due to breastfeeding. She is the daughter of my foster-brother.''
Narrated by Bukhari & MuslimGradeAuthentic hadith
Explanation

'Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) wished that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) marry the daughter of their uncle, Hamzah. However, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that she was not permissible for him, because she was the daughter of his foster-brother. Indeed, the Prophet and his uncle Hamzah were breastfed by Thuwaybah, a slave of Abu Lahab. So Hamzah became the Prophet's foster-brother, and the Prophet became uncle of Hamzah's daughter. The rule is that things that are forbidden because of birth (blood relation) are likewise forbidden because of breastfeeding.

Reference

تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426 هـ. الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط1، دار الفكر، دمشق، 1381ه. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422ه. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت.

This ḥadīth at HadeethEnc.com

We received a letter from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb one year before his death. He said: Cancel every marriage between unmarriageable relatives from among the Magians

عن بجالة قال: كنت كاتبا لِجَزْء بن معاوية، عَمِّ الأحنف، فأتانا كتاب عمر بن الخطاب قبل موته بسنة، فَرِّقُوا بين كل ذِي مَحْرَمٍ من المجوس، ولم يكن عمر أخذ الجِزْيَةَ من المجوس، حتى شهد عبد الرحمن بن عوف أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أخذها من مجوس هَجَر.
Bajālah reported: I was the clerk of Jaz’ ibn Mu‘āwiyah, Al-Ahnaf’s paternal uncle. We received a letter from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb one year before his death. He said: "Cancel every marriage between unmarriageable relatives from among the Magians (Zoroastrians)." ‘Umar did not use to take the Jizyah from the Magians till ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf testified that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had taken Jizyah from the Magians of Hajar.
Narrated by BukhariGradeAuthentic hadith
Explanation

Bajālah explains that he was a scribe for Jaz’ ibn Mu‘āwiyah, who was appointed by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) as the governor of Al-Ahwāz. Jaz’ ibn Mu‘āwiyah was also a paternal uncle of Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays. Bajālah adds that a letter came from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb one year before his death ordering every marriage between unmarriageable relatives among the Magians to be cancelled. It means that male Magian subjects who live under Muslims’ rule must be prevented from marrying their unmarriageable female relatives like sisters, mothers, and daughters. That is because this contradicts Islam and they should never be allowed to do it, even if it was permissible in their religion. ‘Umar did not take the Jizyah from the Magians till ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf testified that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had taken Jizyah from the Magians of Hajar, a town in Bahrain.

Reference

صحيح البخاري، المحقق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة : الأولى 1422هـ. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام شرح بلوغ المرام، محمد بن صالح بن محمد العثيمين، تحقيق: صبحي بن محمد رمضان، وأُم إسراء بنت عرفة، المكتبة الإسلامية، القاهرة، الطبعة الأولى، 1427هـ. توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، مكتبة الأسدي، مكة، الطبعة الخامسة، 1423. تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، صالح الفوزان، اعتناء عبد السلام السلمان، الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1427. منحة العلام شرح بلوغ المرام، عبد الله الفوزان، دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة الأولى، 1428. بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام، أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني، تحقيق وتخريج وتعليق: سمير بن أمين الزهيري، الناشر: دار الفلق، الرياض، الطبعة: السابعة، 1424 هـ. سبل السلام، محمد بن إسماعيل الصنعاني، الناشر: دار الحديث. مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح،علي القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، بيروت – لبنان،الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2002. فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري،أحمد بن علي بن حجر، الناشر: دار المعرفة - بيروت، 1379، رقم كتبه وأبوابه وأحاديثه: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، قام بإخراجه وصححه وأشرف على طبعه: محب الدين الخطيب، وعليه تعليقات العلامة: عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز.

This ḥadīth at HadeethEnc.com

Every ḥadīth, grade, explanation and benefit here is shown exactly as HadeethEnc.com publishes it, under its terms for republication. The grade names no grader. The translations and explanations are its authors’ own, and some state rulings; Sabīl’s reviewers have not examined them. The Arabic ḥadīth is the text. Source: HadeethEnc.com