Cousin Marriages

[Jahangiram]

(bismillah)

 

(salam)

 

I've heard cousin marriages are disliked (makruh) in fiqh. Is there any proof of this from fatwas, hadith or the works of the qudama?

 

 

(wasalam)

[polymath07]

That's interesting. I'd also like to know what the Islamic stance is on marrying ones step-sister. Wouldn't that be nearly the same as marrying a cousin, or is this too close to home to be legitimate?

[Koshaan]

First cousin marriages have been practised by some Imams themselves, as well as by their children (pious ones), so I doubt they are makruh

[Jahangiram]

First cousin marriages have been practised by some Imams themselves, as well as by their children (pious ones), so I doubt they are makruh

So have marriages arranged from childhood, yet theyre considered makruh by consensus.

[monad]

Looks like you are being forced to marry your cousin.

[Koshaan]

So have marriages arranged from childhood, yet theyre considered makruh by consens

us.

Really? If the marriage of nine year old girls is not makruh, how can their arranging be so?

[Jahangiram]

Really? If the marriage of nine year old girls is not makruh, how can their arranging be so?

Arranging is makruh because of the lack of consent initially, its only given an easy pass in fiqh if theres a maslaha (special interest) which will be missed if the marriage is not arranged. And these are very exceptional cases.

[Koshaan]

I can't swallow that the Imams practised something makruh. Ayatollah Khomenei said that it's felicitous for fathers that their daughters attain puberty in their husbands' houses, and he based it on saheeh ahadith- emphasis being on the latter, rather than on his fatwa. I find the idea weird, but that's based on personal beliefs; I mean, I have no intention of doing that to my kids, but I can't say it's wrong, because apparently, our Imams didn't.

Do we know what maslaha drove any such marriages?

[Abu'l Khattab]

(salam)

Apparently Sheikh Nasir Makarem Shirazi says it is Makrooh. This is closest thing I can find to the original.

 

 

 

One of our Mujtahedeen Ayatollah Syed Naasir Makarim Shirazi has studied this subject in detail and has recommended that cousin marriages should indeed be avoided (Falsafa-e-Ehkaam by Ayatollah Nasir Makarim Shirazi: Pg. 119-122). He says that according to various narrations of our Aimmah, cousin marriages should be avoided. When we asked Agha directly, he wrote to us saying “........such marriages have been discouraged in some of the traditions (ahaadiths)”.

http://www.world-federation.org/Health/Reports/MAB_triennial_report_2000.htm


(wasalam)

[IbnSohan]

as far as I know, you should check the genetics not the relationships. Some people who are not related to you may have worse genetics than your cousins.

as far being forced, there is a hadith by imam sadiq, a young man complained to him about being forced to marry a woman he did not desire while he is thinking of another woman, imam sadiq answered " marry the one you desire"

so be smart and find a way out, religion"fatwas etc" really is not the best way out of this problem.

Edited December 19, 2013 by IbnSohan

[SouthsideShia]

Makruh. Islam wants us to go outward, not inward. Diversity is strength, we want a strong Ummah for our Imam AS. Imams and Prophets married cousins because nobody was good enough for them, among other reasons.

[MummyZ]

If it is makruh as you say this should be made more well known, because there are alot of cousin marriages in iraq especially within my own family and even my own sister.

Can you please let me know where you have read about this? Or where have you heard it from?

[Gypsy]

Avoid cousin marriages at all cost, especially in communities that have been into cousin marriages for generations (e.g Arab, India/Pakistan).

 

as far as I know, you should check the genetics not the relationships. Some people who are not related to you may have worse genetics than your cousins.

 

We are not that advanced yet technological to force our genes to pick the superior genes for breeding.

 

A child gets dna from both parents. In case of inbreeding like cousin marriages, the child gets bad dnas from both sets of parents and that usually put them at a disadvantage for a lot of genetic disorder.

 

Every person has two copies of every gene on autosomal chromosomes, one from mother and one from father. If a genetic trait is recessive, a person needs to inherit two copies of the gene for the trait to be expressed. Thus, both parents have to be carriers of a recessive trait in order for a child to express that trait.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recessive_trait

Edited January 11, 2014 by Gypsy

[notme]

I don't think it is makrooh, but it isn't recommended either. The genetic problem arises after generations of giving preference to marrying cousins, not from a single pair, and used to be seen in small isolated communities all over the world, not just among Muslims.

[aliasghark]

Wa alaikum assalam. We shouldn't automatically assume everything the Prophets and Imams did is for us to follow. 

 

For example, the Prophet had many wives, but for us that's prohibited. 

 

There may have been special circumstances and exceptions that don't apply today to us. 

[Hasan0404]

Just curious, which side cousin marriage is safe as compared to the other? ie cousins from fathers side or mothers side?

[Mahdi_theguideforall]

In my community, many people practice cousin marriages. In fact a couple of my cousins are married to each other..

[notme]

Just curious, which side cousin marriage is safe as compared to the other? ie cousins from fathers side or mothers side?

Genetically, they will both lead to inbreeding over time, but a lot more recessive genetic disorders are found in males than in females because the males have only one X chromosome. The females might carry the disorder to the next generation without showing it in themselves.

[Hasan0404]

Genetically, they will both lead to inbreeding over time, but a lot more recessive genetic disorders are found in males than in females because the males have only one X chromosome. The females might carry the disorder to the next generation without showing it in themselves.

Marrying cousins from which side is comparatively safe?

[notme]

Marrying cousins from which side is comparatively safe?

Neither, but there is only a major problem after repeated generations of family marriage.

Or perhaps it is more risky to marry a female cousin from either side because she is more likely to pass genetic disorders to her children that she didn't know she carried.

Edited January 12, 2014 by notme

[Hasan0404]

Neither, but there is only a major problem after repeated generations of family marriage.

Or perhaps it is more risky to marry a female cousin from either side because she is more likely to pass genetic disorders to her children that she didn't know she carried.

Being a male I am compelled to marry a female cousin :P

 

In our society Cousins are the first priority for marriage.

 

A friend of mine once told me not to marry cousins from Father side, anyway thanks.

[IbnSohan]

Marrying cousins from which side is comparatively safe?

depends on which trait you are looking for but intellectual ability is on the X chromes, if you got smart kids (boys specifically) it is their mother's not yours.

[Malik.Ashtar]

(bismillah)

(salam)

I read the whole thread and I think my brothers and sisters in faith have missed some points which in not bad to be considered:

 

1- it is almost obvious that the question have been raised to our brain because of the common idea (which is in fact derived from bible)  in western countries that marrying your cousin is a taboo. in the other hand marriage with cousin was a very regular and common action in islamic societies since the prophet (pbuh) to today's common idea in islamic problem. 

 

    and because they didn't care (and they don't nowadays too i.e if ask them the question they would what made you to think that's haram or even makruh!!)  about the subject they didn't ask about it and that's explains why we don't have hadith and followed by that, jurisprudential discussion on the subject. 

 

2- here in this elegant and respected site we are no meant to discus what the material scientists said about and talking about gene thing and so on. i think there are more sophisticated  and devoted websites .

     i think we are here to knew about islam point of view according to  A'mmah  (as)  and great foghaha of imamiyah (shia)

 

3- sometime we don't believe but act like we want to force the idea of our imams to match what scientists said, we act like their traditions will be authentic if it's match the science . it is like that we are more faithful to science than our faith and imams .

 

so we put the natural science as an axis and we compare the theological science to it and say if it's matched that correct and if not we try to justify the hadith and .... or  because the natural science is always correct (and in fact is not) we put away the hadith or saying 

    i ask Allah (swt) to give us very strong faith and guide us to the right path .

 

 

After these points I'd like to share with you what i found

actually i didn't find any hadith which says cousin marriage is haram or even makrouh

so i searched scholars' book (foghahas' book) about it and i found something about makruh marriages in Ibn Sa'id book who is one of the great foghaha from 7 century he brought up in a very knowledgeable family the great mohaqiq Helli (author of Shari' Islam) was his uncle.

In his book Nozhat Annazir he has a chapter on makruh marriages and he count 26 makruh marriages but NONE of them is the marriage with cousine

 

The only thing i heard about family marriage (not just cousin marriage) is that Ma'som (as)  said don't marry sombody from your family because i want you to have extended family and get to know more people (I couldn't find the source of hadith so i'm not sure about exact details )

 

 

Hope this helps you   B)

[aliasghark]

Wa alaikum assalam. 

 

 

2- here in this elegant and respected site we are no meant to discus what the material scientists said about and talking about gene thing and so on. i think there are more sophisticated  and devoted websites .

     i think we are here to knew about islam point of view according to  A'mmah  (as)  and great foghaha of imamiyah (shia)

 

Islam and science are not supposed to be in some kind of constant conflict. Our leaders (Imams) used to teach science, and some of their students went on to become authorities in their subjects such as Chemistry.  

 

 

The only thing i heard about family marriage (not just cousin marriage) is that Ma'som (as)  said don't marry sombody from your family because i want you to have extended family and get to know more people (I couldn't find the source of hadith so i'm not sure about exact details )

 

This is interesting, can you please try to get more details and elaborate? 

[mhsb.67]

(bismillah)

(salam) 
 

Islam and science are not supposed to be in some kind of constant conflict. Our leaders (Imams) used to teach science, and some of their students went on to become authorities in their subjects such as Chemistry.

 
I don't think our brother meant that there is any conflict between Islam and science and we all know that there is no contrast between Islam and proven - I repeat, proven - science at all.  
 
What he most likely meant was actually the fact that the Q&A here should be religious rather than biological or anything.
It's actually the job of Muslim scientists to discuss whether or not there is any problem in this kind of relationship.

For now, what we are sure about is that there is no problem - from the point of view of our primary sources of Islam - in marrying one's cousin.

If there is any biological problems in such marriage, this fact could supersede the primary sources by the means of being a harm (the rule of La Zarar), and deciding whether it supersedes or not is again is for our Maraji' to decide. - don't overlook the "if" at the beginning of this paragraph!-

[realizm]

I've read before that cousin marriages from the mother's side is safer than the father's side. Why? Because from what I remember, that males' genes often carry recessive genes (aka. bad genes) than the females' genes. The female has XX so if one of her X is defective, the other X can make up for it. But the male has XY, so if his X is defective the Y cannot compensate so thats how the dna (defective) will appear in the child.

I'm not exactly sure how that's tied into the mother's side being safer, but it kinda makes sense.

(salam)

What must be avoided at any cost is mariage between cousins from 2 sisters.

You don't want to marry the daughter or your mum's sister.

Many countries (even arab/muslim) forbid such weddings.

Edited November 14, 2015 by starlight

[Marbles]

You don't want to marry the daughter or your mum's sister.

 

Why? There a couple of marriages like this in my extended family, and quite a few couples I think of who are married this way.

 

Who forbids it?

[Malik.Ashtar]

This is interesting, can you please try to get more details and elaborate? 

 

As i said in previous post i just heard it , but i searched a lot and i found two traditions imply this meaning, but there are two problem about these hadiths 

 

1- both were narrated from sunni books

2- both doesn't have chain of narrators (we don't know the narrators so that we could see if they're reliable or lier )

 

any way i just quote those two , but before that , pay close attention to the point that these traditions are NOT just about cousin but about marriage with your RELATIVES .

 

 اغتربوا و لا تضووا

marry strangers and don't make your offsprings weak .

 

لا تنكحوا القرابه القريبه فان الولد یخرج ضاویا

don't marry your close relatives , (if you did so) the child would be weak

 

 

Wa alaikum assalam. We shouldn't automatically assume everything the Prophets and Imams did is for us to follow. 

 

For example, the Prophet had many wives, but for us that's prohibited. 

 

There may have been special circumstances and exceptions that don't apply today to us. 

 

jurisprudential evidence is divided into four types:

 1- The book (Holy Quran)

 2- Sonnah

 3- Ijma' (consensus)

 4- 'Aql (reason)

 

and sonnah it self divided into three types:

 1- Saying

 2- action

 3- Taqrir (tacit consent) 

 

The action of ma'som is hujjah (acceptable reference) to us unless it is explicitly stated that it's something exclusive for us and you are not allowed to do that (by the way there is no exclusive law in islamic jurisprudence for twelve imams just we had some for The prophet (pbuh) ) and in some cases for example about prophet wives we had so many tradition that you are not allowed .

 

And also Taqrir is hujjah (acceptable reference) and that is when somebody do something in a condition that a ma'som is aware of it either  in his presence or in a way that he can hear it  .

and we have so many tradition that imam himself carry out marriage contract between cousins .

 

That is the BEST evidence.

 

another point i wanted to mention to our brother " aliasghark" is that comparison between too situation in islamic jurisprudence is not correct and called "Qiyas" which is haram and imams forbade us from it.

so come to the result that we can't follow imams in their life because we can't do it  because we can't follow the prophet , is some how problematic. 

 

sorry.

I hope this could help !  B)

[Hasan0404]

(salam)

What must be avoided at any cost is mariage between cousins from 2 sisters.

You don't want to marry the daughter or your mum's sister.

Many countries (even arab/muslim) forbid such weddings.

 

(salam)

What must be avoided at any cost is mariage between cousins from 2 sisters.

You don't want to marry the daughter or your mum's sister.

Many countries (even arab/muslim) forbid such weddings.

Why?

 

I heard it is safer than getting married to cousins from fathers side.

[.InshAllah.]

The more closely related you are to the person you marry, the bigger the risk.. So when it comes to cousins, the biggest risk is marrying your first cousin, then the second.  Then after that I think the risk is similar to marrying anyone else.

[realizm]

(salam)

 

But why is that?? I've heard (also many times before reaidng  that research) that cousin marriages from Mothers' side is safer. And I also read thats why most Pakistani/ South Asian families marry from Mothers side than Father's.

 

Why? There a couple of marriages like this in my extended family, and quite a few couples I think of who are married this way.

 

Who forbids it?

 

Wallahi I don't know much about genetics. I am not even sure that it is forbidden but it is strongly unadvised.

 

But I speak from experience. I myself am married to my cousin (she is the daughter of my father's sister).

And the time we performed medical tests, they asked us what was our family link and it was ok since we were not the children of two daughters.

 

Again I repeat it is not about not choosing from the mother's side, it is just that the offspring of two sisters should not marry. 

My wife, for example, married me from her mother's side, but it was considered fine since I am the son of her mum's brother, not the son of her mum's sister.

[DarthMalik]

Uhhh I hope everyone understand that consanguineal marriages are fine, so long as the genetics of the two individuals are good enough mixed.

 

If there's a trending disease in the family (i.e. heart disease, cancer, abnormalities) then the chance that the newborn of two cousins has that disease is very high.

 

It also depends on the disease itself - some are carried by males while others by females.

 

It is very variable.

 

And as for sister/sister cousins, I don't see anything really affecting, unless, again, there's a genetic disorder running in the family, especially if the females are carriers.