Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
If a man divorces his wife on the insistence of his sister-in-law and then marries that sister-in-law, what is the ruling?
If the man has divorced his wife, he may marry her real sister (his sister-in-law) only after the completion of his former wife's ‘iddah (waiting period).
It is important to note that it is not permissible to cause the divorce of one’s wife with the intention of marrying her sister. However, if someone deceitfully and sinfully causes a divorce and then proceeds with the marriage, the marriage contract will still be considered valid in terms of Islamic law.
سیدنا ابو ہریره رضی الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لَا يَسُومَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى سَوْمِ أَخِيهِ، وَلَا يَبِعِ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى بَيْعِ أَخِيهِ، وَلَا يَخْطُبِ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ، وَلَا تَسْأَلِ الْمَرْأَةُ طَلَاقَ أُخْتِهَا لِتَسْتَفْرِغَ صَحْفَتَهَا، فَإِنَّهَا تَنْكِحُ فَمَا لَهَا مَا قُدِّرَ لَهَا
“Do not artificially inflate prices by outbidding one another. A townsman must not sell for a villager (as a broker). A man must not make a purchase over his brother’s transaction, nor must he propose over the proposal of his brother. And a woman must not seek the divorce of her sister in order to snatch away what is in her plate, for she will only get what is decreed for her.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2140 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1413
① It is haram (forbidden) to desire or cause the divorce of a woman with the aim of marrying her sister.
② If such a sinful act is committed, and a marriage does take place afterward, it is legally valid but remains morally blameworthy.
③ Marriage with a wife's sister is only allowed after the completion of the ‘iddah, not during it.
④ Islam forbids jealousy-driven manipulation in marriage matters, particularly among sisters.
⚠ Caution:
This kind of manipulation not only harms familial ties but is also a grave sin in the sight of Allah. While the resulting marriage may be considered valid, it does not remove the burden of sin if the divorce was orchestrated unjustly.
❖ Question:
If a man divorces his wife on the insistence of his sister-in-law and then marries that sister-in-law, what is the ruling?
✿ Answer:
If the man has divorced his wife, he may marry her real sister (his sister-in-law) only after the completion of his former wife's ‘iddah (waiting period).
It is important to note that it is not permissible to cause the divorce of one’s wife with the intention of marrying her sister. However, if someone deceitfully and sinfully causes a divorce and then proceeds with the marriage, the marriage contract will still be considered valid in terms of Islamic law.
❀ Hadith Evidence:
سیدنا ابو ہریره رضی الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لَا يَسُومَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى سَوْمِ أَخِيهِ، وَلَا يَبِعِ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى بَيْعِ أَخِيهِ، وَلَا يَخْطُبِ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ، وَلَا تَسْأَلِ الْمَرْأَةُ طَلَاقَ أُخْتِهَا لِتَسْتَفْرِغَ صَحْفَتَهَا، فَإِنَّهَا تَنْكِحُ فَمَا لَهَا مَا قُدِّرَ لَهَا
“Do not artificially inflate prices by outbidding one another. A townsman must not sell for a villager (as a broker). A man must not make a purchase over his brother’s transaction, nor must he propose over the proposal of his brother. And a woman must not seek the divorce of her sister in order to snatch away what is in her plate, for she will only get what is decreed for her.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2140 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1413
Key Rulings:
① It is haram (forbidden) to desire or cause the divorce of a woman with the aim of marrying her sister.
② If such a sinful act is committed, and a marriage does take place afterward, it is legally valid but remains morally blameworthy.
③ Marriage with a wife's sister is only allowed after the completion of the ‘iddah, not during it.
④ Islam forbids jealousy-driven manipulation in marriage matters, particularly among sisters.
⚠ Caution:
This kind of manipulation not only harms familial ties but is also a grave sin in the sight of Allah. While the resulting marriage may be considered valid, it does not remove the burden of sin if the divorce was orchestrated unjustly.
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