❀ Ruling on Marrying One’s Wife’s Niece in Light of Qur’an and Hadith ❀
Source: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, Page 434
Question
What do the scholars of Islam say about this matter: Shāh Muḥammad wishes to marry his wife’s niece. According to Sharīʿah, is such a marriage permissible?
✔ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
It must be well understood that such a marriage is not permissible. In Sharīʿah, a paternal aunt and her niece or a maternal aunt and her niece cannot be joined in marriage at the same time.
◈ Evidence from the Qur’an
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَـٰتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُمْ وَعَمَّـٰتُكُمْ وَخَـٰلَـٰتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَـٰتُكُمُ ٱلَّـٰتِىٓ أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُم مِّنَ ٱلرَّضَـٰعَةِ وَأُمَّهَـٰتُ نِسَآئِكُمْ وَرَبَـٰٓئِبُكُمُ ٱلَّـٰتِى فِى حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّـٰتِى دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَـٰٓئِلُ أَبْنَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَـٰبِكُمْ وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًا﴾
(Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 23)
This verse makes it clear that it is not permissible to unite certain close relatives in marriage simultaneously.
◈ Evidence from Hadith
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrates:
((عن ابى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى أن تنكح المرأة على عمتها ولا العمة على بنت أخيها.))
Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Nikāḥ, Bāb mā yukrahu an yujmaʿ baynahunna min al-nisāʾ, Ḥadīth no. 6520
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade marrying a woman alongside her paternal aunt or marrying a woman alongside her maternal aunt.
Conclusion
From the above, it is evident that Shāh Muḥammad cannot marry his wife’s niece, as this is explicitly prohibited in Sharīʿah.
Hadhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam bis-ṣawāb.
