Mahram

A mahram is an unmarriageable kin with whom marriage/sexual intercourse would be considered haram (illegal in Islam). Current usage of the term covers a wider range of people (including parents, siblings and children, but not cousins) and mostly deals with hijab and its cultural and regional norms.

Who is mahram?

In this kinship chart, mahrams are shadowed. Note that not all mahrams are shown in the chart (specially at step-relatives and rada kinship).

Being mahram is a mutual condition. If A is mahram to B, B is definitely mahram to A. Any relative that a Muslim is not allowed to marry is mahram, if they are of the opposite sex and have reached puberty. A partial list of what is considered a mahram can be found in Surah 24, Ayah 31, of the Koran.[1]

A woman's male mahrams fall into four categories (three categories in the strict-sense definition that does not count one's spouse). Mahrams for a man can be derived in a similar manner.[2]

For a man, mahram women include his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, grandaunt, niece, grandniece, his father's wife, his wife's daughter (step-daughter), his mother-in-law, his rada mother and any other rada relatives that correspond to the above-mentioned blood relatives. As the Prophet said, "What is forbidden by reason of kinship is forbidden by reason of suckling."[3]

These are considered mahram because they are mentioned in the Quran (An-Nisa 22-23):

"And marry not women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed; indeed it was shameful and most hateful, and an evil way. Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your father's sisters-in-law, your mother's sisters-in-law, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters.

All of the man's female relatives mentioned in these two verses are considered his maharim, because it is unlawful (haram) for him to marry them, except the wife's sister mentioned last, who is not a mahram because he can marry her if he divorces her sister, or if his wife dies. As noted in the introduction, the notion of mahram is reciprocal. All other relatives are considered non-maharim and they fall under the category of strangers.

Some rules regarding mahrams and ghayr mahrams (non-mahrams)

  • Theoretically, a Muslim woman's mahrams form the group of allowable escorts when she travels.
  • An adopted brother (adopted sister) of a woman (man) is ghayr mahram to her (him) and they can marry each other. The term "adopted" means those children who are adopted by one's parents for the purpose of providing shelter and upbringing and who do not fall under the relationships outlined under the section "Who is mahram?" above.
  • Except for the spouse, being mahram is a permanent condition. That means, for example, that a man will remain mahram to his ex-mother-in-law after divorcing her daughter. One is ghayr mahram to one's ex-spouse.
  • One must not stay with a ghayr mahram in seclusion where none of their mahrams is present (see also proxemics).
  • If wives of a man each become a rada mother of a child, all children and all rada mothers will be mahram to each other.

Reference

  1. ↑ An-Nur, 31| SAHIH INTERNATIONAL translation.
  2. ↑ 5538: Who are the mahrams in front of whom a woman can uncover?| Islam Question and Answer General Supervisor: Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid| Published Date: 1999-11-24| Accessed date: 19 February 2017
  3. ↑ Sahih al-Bukhari, No. 4776 - Narrated Abu Huraira:

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.