A man married a woman and divorced her; is her son from another woman considered a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to her?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. The questioner says: A man married a woman and divorced her; is her son from another woman considered a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to her?
The Shaykh : Yes, if a woman marries a man, then his sons from another woman are mahram (forbidden to marry) for this woman, because all the mahram women mentioned in the chapter of al-Nisa are mahram. Listen.[An-Nisa 4:22] Now, "Do not marry" — who is being addressed? The sons or not?[An-Nisa 4:22] If your father's wife, what is her status for you? She is a mahram for you because she is forbidden to you.[An-Nisa 4:23] You are a mahram for your mother, yes.[An-Nisa 4:23] All of these are forbidden and mahram.[An-Nisa 4:23] It is forbidden for you to marry your mother who breastfed you, and she is a mahram, not a non-mahram.[An-Nisa 4:23] Your foster sister is forbidden to you, and she is a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to you. Your foster aunt and your foster maternal aunt were not mentioned in the verse, but they were mentioned in the hadith. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is forbidden by breastfeeding is forbidden by blood relation." Who is being addressed? The mothers of your wives. The husbands. And on this basis, the wife's mother is forbidden to the husband and is a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to him.[An-Nisa 4:23] Who is being addressed? Yes, the husbands. And the husband's stepdaughter is the daughter of his wife, but on the condition that he has entered into marital relations with her mother, meaning that he has had intercourse with her. So if a man marries a woman and divorces her before entering into marital relations, it is permissible for him to marry her daughter, because Allah stipulated in His saying:[An-Nisa 4:23]، [An-Nisa 4:23] Who is being addressed? The fathers. So the son's wife is forbidden to the father and is a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to him.[An-Nisa 4:23] The wife's sister is a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to you.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Is she forbidden to you?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : No, that is incorrect. The wife’s sister is not forbidden to you. People, understand the Qur’anic expression. Did Allah the Exalted say "and the sisters of your wives"?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Or did He say[An-Nisa 4:23]? The forbidden thing is combining them, people. The woman herself is not forbidden. If your wife dies, is it permissible for you to take her sister, or is it not permissible? It is permissible. If you divorce her and her waiting period ends, is it permissible for you to take her sister, or is it not permissible? It is permissible. Therefore, we do not approve of the expression used by some jurists when they say "the sister of the wife is forbidden for a period of time." We say this is a mistake; it contradicts the Qur’anic expression. The correct expression is to say "it is forbidden to combine two sisters," not to say "the sister of the wife is forbidden for a period of time." The sister of the wife is not forbidden. The forbidden thing, O brothers, is the combination. And so it came in the Qur’an: "and that you combine two sisters," and it came in the Sunnah: Sahih Muslim 1408a.
And the summary of the answer to the question is: The husband’s sons are mahram (relatives one may not marry) to their father’s wife, yes, even if the father’s wife is divorced, meaning if the father’s wife is divorced, her sons are mahram (relatives one may not marry) to her. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, if a woman marries a man, then his sons from another woman are mahram (forbidden to marry) for this woman, because all the mahram women mentioned in the chapter of al-Nisa are mahram. Listen.
And do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married, except what has already occurred. Indeed, it was an immorality and hateful [to Allah] and was evil as a way.
ولا تنكحوا ما نكح أباؤكم من النساء إلا ما قد سلف إنه كان فاحشة ومقتا وساء سبيلاAnd do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married
ولا تنكحوا ما نكح أباؤكم من النساءProhibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers
حرمت عليكم أمهاتكمyour daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters
وبناتكم وأخواتكم وعماتكم وخالاتكم وبنات الأخ وبنات الأختyour [milk] mothers who nursed you
وأمهاتكم اللاتي أرضعنكمyour sisters through nursing
وأخواتكم من الرضاعةthe mothers of your wives
وأمهات نسائكمyour step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in
وربائبكم اللاتي في حجوركم من نسائكم اللاتي دخلتم بهنunto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you
اللاتي دخلتم بهن فإن لم تكونوا دخلتم بهن فلا جناح عليكمthe wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins
وحلائل أبنائكم الذين من أصلابكمand that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously
وأن تجمعوا بين الأختينThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Is she forbidden to you?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : No, that is incorrect. The wife’s sister is not forbidden to you. People, understand the Qur’anic expression. Did Allah the Exalted say "and the sisters of your wives"?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Or did He say
that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously
أن تجمعوا بين الأختينOne should not combine a woman and her father's sister, nor a woman and her mother's sister in marriage.
لا يجمع بين المرأة وعمتها ولا بين المرأة وخالتهاAnd the summary of the answer to the question is: The husband’s sons are mahram (relatives one may not marry) to their father’s wife, yes, even if the father’s wife is divorced, meaning if the father’s wife is divorced, her sons are mahram (relatives one may not marry) to her. Yes.