Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amunpūrī
❖ Question:
If a man’s wife passes away, and she had a daughter from her previous marriage, can the man marry that daughter (his stepdaughter, or rabībah)?
❖ Answer:
If the man consummated the marriage (i.e., had sexual relations) with his deceased wife,
then it is strictly forbidden (ḥarām) for him to marry her daughter from a previous husband.
❖ Qur’anic Evidence:
“And [forbidden to you are] your stepdaughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you [to marry them].”
— Sūrah al-Nisāʾ (4:23)
This verse clearly states that if a man has had intercourse with his wife, then her daughters from previous marriages become permanently prohibited for him — even after the wife’s death.
✅ Summary:
- ✔ If the wife was consummated, her daughter (rabībah) becomes permanently forbidden to her husband — even if she dies.
- ✘ If the wife was not consummated, her daughter may be married.
❖ Conclusion:
Marriage to a stepdaughter (rabībah) depends on whether intercourse occurred with her mother:
- Yes, consummation happened → Stepdaughter is permanently forbidden.
- No consummation → Stepdaughter’s marriage is permissible.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct. Allah knows best.
