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Cousin Marriage in Islamic Law: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Ali x fatimah.jpg|thumb|319x319px|Early painting depicting Ali's wedding to his cousin Fatimah (Muhammad's | [[File:Ali x fatimah.jpg|thumb|319x319px|Early painting depicting Ali's wedding to his cousin Fatimah (Muhammad's daughter).]] | ||
'''Cousin marriages''', including those between first cousins, are permitted by [[Shari'ah (Islamic Law)|Islamic law]] and [[scriptures]] and were practiced by [[Sahabah|Muhammad's | '''Cousin marriages''', including those between first cousins, are permitted by [[Shari'ah (Islamic Law)|Islamic law]] and [[scriptures]] and were practiced by [[Muhammad ibn Abdullah|Muhammad]] himself as well as [[Sahabah|his companions]]. Muhammad's practice of cousin marriage, in addition to cementing the legality of the practice, renders the practice a ''[[sunnah]]'', or a good deed worthy of commendation, given Muhammad's status as ''al-insan al-kamal'' (lit. 'the perfect man'). Cousin marriages have been the common throughout Islamic history<ref>Goody, Marriage and the Family in Europe</ref> and remain so in Muslim-majority nations today, comprising a significant percentage of the total population of these nations. | ||
Children born of cousin marriages face an increased risk of genetic disorders and childhood mortality<ref>Bittles, Alan H.; et al. (10 May 1991). "Reproductive Behavior and Health in Consanguineous Marriages". Science. 252 (5007): 789–794. doi:10.1126/science.2028254. PMID 2028254, p. 790</ref><ref>Bittles, A.H. (May 2001). "A Background Background Summary of Consaguineous marriage" (PDF). consang.net consang.net. Retrieved 19 January 2010. citing Bittles, A.H.; Neel, J.V. (1994). "The costs of human inbreeding and their implications for variation at the DNA level". ''Nature Genetics''. '''8''' (2): 117–121</ref> and are thus prohibited in some countries.<ref>"The Surprising Truth About Cousins and Marriage". 14 February 2014.</ref><ref>Paul, Diane B.; Spencer, Hamish G. (23 December 2008). ""It's Ok, We're Not Cousins by Blood": The Cousin Marriage Controversy in Historical Perspective". ''PLOS Biology''. '''6''' (12): 2627–30. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060320. PMC 2605922. <nowiki>PMID 19108607</nowiki>.</ref> | Children born of cousin marriages face an increased risk of genetic disorders and childhood mortality<ref>Bittles, Alan H.; et al. (10 May 1991). "Reproductive Behavior and Health in Consanguineous Marriages". Science. 252 (5007): 789–794. doi:10.1126/science.2028254. PMID 2028254, p. 790</ref><ref>Bittles, A.H. (May 2001). "A Background Background Summary of Consaguineous marriage" (PDF). consang.net consang.net. Retrieved 19 January 2010. citing Bittles, A.H.; Neel, J.V. (1994). "The costs of human inbreeding and their implications for variation at the DNA level". ''Nature Genetics''. '''8''' (2): 117–121</ref> and are thus prohibited in some countries.<ref>"The Surprising Truth About Cousins and Marriage". 14 February 2014.</ref><ref>Paul, Diane B.; Spencer, Hamish G. (23 December 2008). ""It's Ok, We're Not Cousins by Blood": The Cousin Marriage Controversy in Historical Perspective". ''PLOS Biology''. '''6''' (12): 2627–30. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060320. PMC 2605922. <nowiki>PMID 19108607</nowiki>.</ref> | ||
== | ==Cousin marriage in scripture== | ||
=== Quran === | |||
{{Quran|4|23}}, in leaving out mention of one's cousins in its list of those relatives to whom marriage is prohibited, permits cousin marriage. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|4|34}}|Forbidden to you (are) your mothers and your daughters and your sisters and your father's sisters and your mother's sisters and daughters (of) brothers, and daughters (of) sisters and (the) mothers who nursed you and your sisters from the nursing and mothers (of) your wives and your step daughters who (are) in your guardianship of your women whom you had relations with them, but if not you had relations with them, then (there is) no sin on you. And wives (of) your sons, those who (are) from your loins and that you gather together [between] two sisters except what has passed before. Indeed, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.}} | |||
{{Quran|33|50}}, in discussing the exclusive marital rights of the prophet Muhammad, explicitly permits him to marry his first cousins.{{Quote|{{Quran|33|50}}|O Prophet! Indeed, We [We] have made lawful to you your wives (to) whom you have given their bridal money and whom you rightfully possess from those (whom) Allah has given to you, and (the) daughters (of) your paternal uncles and (the) daughters (of) your paternal aunts and (the) daughters (of) your maternal uncles and (the) daughters (of) your maternal aunts who emigrated with you, and a woman believing if she gives herself to the Prophet if wishes the Prophet to marry her - only for you, excluding the believers. Certainly, We know what We have made obligatory upon them concerning their wives and whom they rightfully possess, that not should be on you any discomfort. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful}} | |||
===Hadith and sirah=== | |||
====Muhammad==== | |||
Muhammad married his cousin [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Muhammads Wives and Concubines#Zainab_bint_Jash|Zaynab bint Jahsh]] who, in addition to being the daughter of Umaimah bint Abd al-Muttalib (a sister of Muhammad's father), was also the former wife of his adopted son, Zayd ibn Harith. The marriage proved immensely controversial - not because Zaynab and Muhammad were cousins (cousin marriages being fairly common throughout much of the ancient world), but because Zaynab had been previously been married to Muhammad's adopted son. The controversy was of such scale that Muhammad ultimately produced revelation in the Quran addressing the matter, absolving him of any proposed guilt. | |||
{{Quote|{{quran|33|37}}|And when you said to the one, Allah bestowed favor on him and you bestowed favor on him, "Keep to yourself your wife and fear Allah." But you concealed within yourself what Allah (was to) disclose. And you fear the people, while Allah has more right that you (should) fear Him. So when ended Zaid from her necessary (formalities), We married her to you so that not there be on the believers any discomfort concerning the wives (of) their adopted sons when they have ended from them necessary (formalities). And is (the) Command (of) Allah accomplished.}} | |||
According to Ibn Sa'd, after Zaynab's marriage to Zayd, Muhammad went to visit him, but instead encountered a hastily clad Zaynab. Though he did not enter the house, the sight of her pleased him. [[Tabari]] states that Zaynab was only wearing a single slip and that the wind pushed away a curtain when Muhammad entered, revealing her 'uncovered'. Thereafter, Zayd no longer found her attractive and thought of proposing divorce, but Muhammad told him to keep her. Eventually, however, Zayd did divorce her. After this, Muhammad and Zaynab were wed.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:72; [[The History of al-Tabari|Al-Tabari,]] [[The History of al-Tabari#Volume%20VIII:%20The%20Victory%20of%20Islam|Vol. 8, p. 4]]; [[The History of al-Tabari|Al-Tabari,]] [[The History of al-Tabari#Volume%20XXXIX:%20Biographies%20of%20the%20Prophet.27s%20Companions%20and%20Their%20Successors|Vol. 39, p. 180]]; cf. Guillaume/Ishaq 3; Maududi (1967), ''Tafhimul Quran'', "''Al Ahzab''"</ref> | |||
====Ali==== | |||
In addition to marrying a first cousin himself, Muhammad also allowed the marriage of his daughter, Fatimah, to his first cousin, [[Ali ibn Abi Talib]], who would later become the fourth [[Rashidun Caliphs|Rightly-Guided]] [[Caliph]] of Islam. | |||
=== | ====Umar==== | ||
The second Rightly-Guided Caliph, [[Umar ibn al-Khattab]], also married his cousin, Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl.<ref>History of the Prophets and Kings 4/ 199 by Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari</ref><ref>al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah 6/352 by ibn Kathir</ref> | |||
==In the Islamic world today== | |||
From a biological point of view it becomes clear that first cousin marriage is not recommended because close relatives have a higher than normal consanguinity which means an increased chance of sharing genes for recessive traits. With this high amount of shared DNA, you have a higher risk of birth defects in a baby. Even if cousin marriages are not performed, you can still have such genetic defects in populations where there is a restricted social structure. | From a biological point of view it becomes clear that first cousin marriage is not recommended because close relatives have a higher than normal consanguinity which means an increased chance of sharing genes for recessive traits. With this high amount of shared DNA, you have a higher risk of birth defects in a baby. Even if cousin marriages are not performed, you can still have such genetic defects in populations where there is a restricted social structure. | ||
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==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
* [[Marriage]] | |||
* [[Health]] | |||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||