Ruling on Marrying a Woman Together with Her Aunt (Paternal or Maternal)
Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on marrying a woman together with her paternal or maternal aunt in one marriage contract?
❖ Answer:
It is ḥarām to marry a woman together with her paternal aunt (phupphī) or maternal aunt (khālah) in the same marriage contract. Such a marriage is invalid. The evidence lies in mutawātir aḥādīth and the consensus of the Ummah. However, the Khawārij and some others denied this.
✿ Evidence from Hadith
Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا يجمع بين المرأة وعمتها، ولا بين المرأة وخالتها
(A woman and her paternal aunt should not be joined in marriage together, nor a woman and her maternal aunt.)
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5109, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1408)
Another narration by Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه:
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى أن تنكح المرأة على عمتها، والعمة على بنت أخيها، أو المرأة على خالتها، أو الخالة على بنت أختها، لا تنكح الصغرى على الكبرى، ولا الكبرى على الصغرى
(The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade marrying a woman along with her paternal aunt, or a paternal aunt along with her niece; likewise, a woman with her maternal aunt, or a maternal aunt along with her niece. Neither should the younger be married over the elder, nor the elder over the younger.)
(Musnad Aḥmad 2/426, Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2065, Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 3298, Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 1126 – all with authentic chains)
Imām al-Bukhārī رحمه الله cited it in ta‘liq form. Imām al-Tirmidhī رحمه الله graded it ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ. Imām Ibn al-Jārūd رحمه الله, Imām Ibn Ḥibbān رحمه الله, and Ḥāfiẓ Ibn al-Mulaqqin رحمه الله also graded it ṣaḥīḥ.
(al-Badr al-Munīr 7/597)
✿ Statement of Scholars
Al-‘Allāmah al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī رحمه الله (504H) said:
قد وردت آثار متواترة فى النهي عن الجمع بين المرأة وعمتها أو خالتها وعليه الإجماع، إلا ما نقل عن طائفة من الخوارج
(Mutawātir narrations have been reported prohibiting the joining of a woman with her paternal or maternal aunt in marriage. There is consensus on this, except for a group of the Khawārij who opposed it.)
(Aḥkām al-Qur’ān 2/404)
Conclusion:- Combining a woman and her paternal or maternal aunt in one marriage is ḥarām and invalid.
- This ruling is established through mutawātir aḥādīth and ijmā‘ (consensus) of the Ummah.
- The opposition of the Khawārij holds no weight against the evidence and consensus.
