Is it obligatory to avoid marriage between close relatives for the sake of healthy offspring?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa number ( 19244 )
Q: Given the nature of my work in the field of disability and rehabilitation, and my cooperation with team members, and the fact that the proportion of foreigners is large, and their inquiries have increased regarding family counseling for families who have more than one disabled child and wish to stop having children, I thought it best to delve into this from a religious perspective
by giving them the idea that our noble religion was the first to provide a solution to this issue through the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and his encouragement to avoid marriage between close relatives, and that it is not religiously forbidden to marry close relatives as many people understand. I ask you to provide me with hadiths and evidence on this topic, and if there is anything in English, I ask you to provide it at the earliest opportunity. I have also heard that Islam does not forbid a couple from stopping childbirth if it is medically known that disabled children will be born, thereby increasing the burden on the family and society. How accurate is this?
A: There are no authentic hadiths that prohibit marriage between close relatives, and the occurrence of disability is by the divine decree and destiny of Allah, and marriage to close relatives is not one of its causes as is rumored. It is not permissible to prevent childbirth out of fear of disability; rather, one must rely upon Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and have good opinion of Him. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Given the nature of my work in the field of disability and rehabilitation, and my cooperation with team members, and the fact that the proportion of foreigners is large, and their inquiries have increased regarding family counseling for families who have more than one disabled child and wish to stop having children, I thought it best to delve into this from a religious perspective
by giving them the idea that our noble religion was the first to provide a solution to this issue through the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and his encouragement to avoid marriage between close relatives, and that it is not religiously forbidden to marry close relatives as many people understand. I ask you to provide me with hadiths and evidence on this topic, and if there is anything in English, I ask you to provide it at the earliest opportunity. I have also heard that Islam does not forbid a couple from stopping childbirth if it is medically known that disabled children will be born, thereby increasing the burden on the family and society. How accurate is this?
A: There are no authentic hadiths that prohibit marriage between close relatives, and the occurrence of disability is by the divine decree and destiny of Allah, and marriage to close relatives is not one of its causes as is rumored. It is not permissible to prevent childbirth out of fear of disability; rather, one must rely upon Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and have good opinion of Him. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.