Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amunpūrī
What is the ruling on marrying the stepmother of one's foster (rada‘i) father or mother?
Just as it is impermissible to marry the wife of one's paternal or maternal grandfather through lineage (nasab), it is equally impermissible to marry the wife of one's foster grandfather (whether maternal or paternal) through breastfeeding (raḍā‘ah).
This is because:
❝Any relationship that is made unlawful through lineage is also made unlawful through breastfeeding.❞
Allah Most High says:
وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ
“Do not marry those women whom your fathers had married.”
(Sūrat al-Nisā’ – 4:22)
Therefore, marrying their wives (past or present) is ḥarām (prohibited).
✿ Ruling on Marrying the Stepmother of a Rada'i (Foster) Father or Mother
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on marrying the stepmother of one's foster (rada‘i) father or mother?
❖ Answer:
Just as it is impermissible to marry the wife of one's paternal or maternal grandfather through lineage (nasab), it is equally impermissible to marry the wife of one's foster grandfather (whether maternal or paternal) through breastfeeding (raḍā‘ah).
This is because:
❝Any relationship that is made unlawful through lineage is also made unlawful through breastfeeding.❞
Allah Most High says:وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ
“Do not marry those women whom your fathers had married.”
(Sūrat al-Nisā’ – 4:22)
❖ Explanation:
- The word “آباؤكم” (your fathers) in the verse includes:
① Biological fathers
② Paternal and maternal grandfathers
③ Foster fathers, and by extension, foster grandfathers
Therefore, marrying their wives (past or present) is ḥarām (prohibited).
✔ Summary:
Marrying the wife of a foster father, foster grandfather, or foster maternal grandfather is prohibited, just like in the case of biological relations.
The prohibition of such marriages is established by analogy with lineage and supported by the Qur’anic verse (4:22).
Foster relations (raḍā‘ah) carry the same legal restrictions in marriage as biological ones.
