Who are the mahram relatives of a woman?
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The questioner : Who are the mahram relatives of a woman?
The Shaykh : Yes. The mahram relatives of a woman are her husband and every man who is permanently forbidden to her by lineage or by a lawful cause. These are the mahram relatives. As for those who are forbidden to her in a non-permanent way, they are not her mahram relatives, such as her wife’s sister, her wife’s paternal aunt, and her wife’s maternal aunt. Her wife’s sister, paternal aunt, and maternal aunt are forbidden to a man only as long as the wife is in his marriage bond. Since the prohibition is not permanent, they are not his mahram relatives. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a man to look at his wife’s sister, his wife’s paternal aunt, or his wife’s maternal aunt, because they are not among the mahram relatives.
And when we say: "by lineage", we mean by kinship. The women forbidden by kinship are seven, as mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:23] And when we say: "or by a lawful cause", this includes those forbidden by breastfeeding and those forbidden by in-law relationships. The women forbidden by breastfeeding are exactly like those forbidden by lineage, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:23] And the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1937Sahih (Darussalam) It is forbidden for a man to marry his mother by breastfeeding, his daughter by breastfeeding, his sister by breastfeeding, his paternal aunt by breastfeeding, his maternal aunt by breastfeeding, his brother’s daughter by breastfeeding, and his sister’s daughter by breastfeeding. These are seven, just as seven are forbidden to him by lineage, due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1937Sahih (Darussalam).
As for the women forbidden by in-law relationships, they are four: the wife’s mother, the wife’s daughter, the son’s wife, and the father’s wife. As for the father’s wife, the son’s wife, and the wife’s mother, they are mahram relatives merely by the marriage contract. As for the wife’s daughters, they are not mahram relatives until after consummation of the marriage with the wife, meaning after having sexual intercourse with her. Based on this, if a man marries a woman and then divorces her before having sexual intercourse with her, and she has a daughter from another man, he may marry this daughter after her mother’s waiting period ends. However, if this wife has a mother, it is not permissible for him to marry her mother; rather, she is among his mahram relatives. This is because the wife’s mother does not require consummation of the marriage to be considered a mahram relative, unlike the wife’s daughter. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, Shaykh Muhammad. The listener has a final question, which says:
The Shaykh : Yes. The mahram relatives of a woman are her husband and every man who is permanently forbidden to her by lineage or by a lawful cause. These are the mahram relatives. As for those who are forbidden to her in a non-permanent way, they are not her mahram relatives, such as her wife’s sister, her wife’s paternal aunt, and her wife’s maternal aunt. Her wife’s sister, paternal aunt, and maternal aunt are forbidden to a man only as long as the wife is in his marriage bond. Since the prohibition is not permanent, they are not his mahram relatives. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a man to look at his wife’s sister, his wife’s paternal aunt, or his wife’s maternal aunt, because they are not among the mahram relatives.
And when we say: "by lineage", we mean by kinship. The women forbidden by kinship are seven, as mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Prohibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الأُخْتِyour [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing
وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِBreast-feeding makes unlawful (for marriages) the same things that blood tie make unlawful.
يحرم من الرضاع ما يحرم من النسبBreast-feeding makes unlawful (for marriages) the same things that blood tie make unlawful.
يحرم من الرضاع ما يحرم من النسبAs for the women forbidden by in-law relationships, they are four: the wife’s mother, the wife’s daughter, the son’s wife, and the father’s wife. As for the father’s wife, the son’s wife, and the wife’s mother, they are mahram relatives merely by the marriage contract. As for the wife’s daughters, they are not mahram relatives until after consummation of the marriage with the wife, meaning after having sexual intercourse with her. Based on this, if a man marries a woman and then divorces her before having sexual intercourse with her, and she has a daughter from another man, he may marry this daughter after her mother’s waiting period ends. However, if this wife has a mother, it is not permissible for him to marry her mother; rather, she is among his mahram relatives. This is because the wife’s mother does not require consummation of the marriage to be considered a mahram relative, unlike the wife’s daughter. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, Shaykh Muhammad. The listener has a final question, which says: