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Can You Marry a Woman and Her Father’s Ex-Wife?

13-01-2002

Question 23435

I would like to ask whether it is permissible to marry the stepmother in law (the wife is not her daughter) while keeping the wife and stepmother in law at the same time in nikah?

Summary of answer:

It is permissible for a man to marry the ex-wife of his wife’s father, so long as that is not his wife’s mother. There is nothing wrong with marrying her even if her husband’s daughter is with him (is his wife), because there is no blood relationship between the two wives, i.e., between his first wife and her father’s ex-wife.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Permissibility of Marrying a Wife’s Father’s Ex-Wife

It is permissible for a man to marry the ex-wife of his wife’s father, so long as that is not his wife’s mother. There is nothing wrong with marrying her even if her husband’s daughter is with him (is his wife), because there is no blood relationship between the two wives, i.e., between his first wife and her father’s ex-wife.

Forbidden Marriages: Sisters and Aunts

What is forbidden is to be married to two sisters at the same time, or to be married to a woman and her maternal or paternal aunt at the same time.

Please see question no. 22302.

Anything other than that is permissible, because Allah says, after mentioning those women whom one is forbidden to marry :

{All others are lawful, provided you seek (them in marriage) with Mahr (bridal-money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage) from your property.} [An-Nisa’ 4:24 – interpretation of the meaning]

With regard to a mother and daughter, if the daughter is the wife, then her mother becomes permanently forbidden for him to marry as soon as the marriage contract is completed.

Conditions Involving Mother and Daughter in Marriage

If the mother is the wife, then the matter is subject to further discussion:

{your wives’ mothers, your stepdaughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have gone in — but there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry their daughters),” [An-Nisa’ 4:23 – interpretation of the meaning] (End quote from Kitab Fatawa Islamiyyah, vol. 3, p. 134)

And Allah knows best.

Women Who are Forbidden for Marriage
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