What is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married, except for what has already occurred,” and “And [it is not permissible] for you to take both sisters [in marriage], except for what has already occurred”?
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The questioner : He is inquiring about the two noble verses: [An-Nisa 4:22] and the second verse: [An-Nisa 4:23]?
The Shaykh : As for the first verse, its meaning is:
That you should not contract a marriage with a woman with whom your fathers contracted a marriage, whether the father is the direct father or the grandfathers above him, whether they are from the mother’s side or the father’s side. It is not permissible for a man to marry a woman with whom his father or grandfather contracted a marriage, whether the grandfather is from the father’s side or the mother’s side.
And His saying, the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:22]
And as for His saying, the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:23], its meaning is that Allah has forbidden us from taking both sisters in marriage, whether they are related by blood or by breastfeeding. [An-Nisa 4:22]
Taking both sisters in marriage is forbidden. If he marries them in one contract, such that their father says: “I have married my daughter to you,” then both contracts are invalid. If one preceded the other, the one that preceded is the valid one.
So if he marries his daughter to a man at the beginning of the day, and then marries her sister to him at the end of the day while the first wife is still alive, the marriage of the second is invalid. And likewise:Sahih Muslim 1408a As for other relatives, it is permissible to take them together; it is permissible to take the two daughters of a paternal uncle together, and the two daughters of a maternal uncle together.
But it is not recommended to take close relatives together, because that may lead to severing the family ties between them, as it is customary that a co-wife becomes jealous of her co-wife, and enmity and hatred arise between them.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
And do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married, except what has already occurred
وَلا تَنكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَand that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred
وَأَنْ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَThe Shaykh : As for the first verse, its meaning is:
That you should not contract a marriage with a woman with whom your fathers contracted a marriage, whether the father is the direct father or the grandfathers above him, whether they are from the mother’s side or the father’s side. It is not permissible for a man to marry a woman with whom his father or grandfather contracted a marriage, whether the grandfather is from the father’s side or the mother’s side.
And His saying, the Exalted:
except what has already occurred
إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَAnd as for His saying, the Exalted:
and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously
وَأَنْ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الأُخْتَيْنِexcept what has already occurred
إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَTaking both sisters in marriage is forbidden. If he marries them in one contract, such that their father says: “I have married my daughter to you,” then both contracts are invalid. If one preceded the other, the one that preceded is the valid one.
So if he marries his daughter to a man at the beginning of the day, and then marries her sister to him at the end of the day while the first wife is still alive, the marriage of the second is invalid. And likewise:
One 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 وخالتهاBut it is not recommended to take close relatives together, because that may lead to severing the family ties between them, as it is customary that a co-wife becomes jealous of her co-wife, and enmity and hatred arise between them.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.