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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 daugther).]] | |||
'''Cousin marriage''' in [[Islam]] is a [[marriage]] to a person who shares a fairly recent ancestor (within a few generations). In some communities cousin marriages are encouraged and in others they are stigmatized. Cousin marriages are illegal and 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 of cousin marriages may have increased risk of genetic disorders and child 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> Cousin marriages has been the norm throughout all Islamic recorded history<ref>Goody, Marriage and the Family in Europe</ref> and remains so in Islamic world today. | |||
==Scripture== | ==Scripture== | ||
Due to [[#History|the actions]] of Prophet Muhammad and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, marriage between cousins is explicitly allowed and even [[Uswa Hasana|encouraged]] in Islam. The Qur'an itself does not discourage or forbid this practice in any way. In fact it implicitly allows it, as seen in [[Surah|chapter]] 4 verse 23<ref>Prohibited to you (For marriage) are:- Your mothers, daughters, sisters; father's sisters, Mother's sisters; brother's daughters, sister's daughters; foster-mothers (Who gave you suck), foster-sisters; your wives' mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom ye have gone in,- no prohibition if ye have not gone in;- (Those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful;- | |||
{{Quran|4|23}}</ref> | |||
So everyone besides these relatives named can be married. Such marriages in Muslim majority countries are often preferred and even encouraged in some regions. This is in contrast with [[China]], [[India]], most of the [[United States]] and some other nations where cousin-marriage is against the law and regarded as incest. | |||
Even though there is some debate on this issue, scientists tend to agree it is genetically unhealthy. There are other problems with cousin marriages. | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
[[Muhammad]] himself married cousins, as he did with [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Muhammads Wives and Concubines#Zainab_bint_Jash|Zaynab bint Jahsh]], who was not only the daughter of Umaimah bint Abd al-Muttalib, one of his father's sisters,<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:72; {{Tabari|8|p. 4}}; {{Tabari|39|p. 180}}; cf Guillaume/Ishaq 3; Maududi (1967), Tafhimul Quran, Chapter Al Ahzab</ref> but was also divorced from a marriage with Muhammad's adopted son, Zayd ibn Haritha. It was this last issue that caused the most controversy, with traditional Arab norms at the time being opposed, though not the Qur'an (Sura Al-Ahzab 33:37)<ref>{{Quran|33|37}}</ref> | ===Muhammad=== | ||
Prophet [[Muhammad]] himself married cousins, as he did with [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Muhammads Wives and Concubines#Zainab_bint_Jash|Zaynab bint Jahsh]], who was not only the daughter of Umaimah bint Abd al-Muttalib, one of his father's sisters,<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:72; {{Tabari|8|p. 4}}; {{Tabari|39|p. 180}}; cf Guillaume/Ishaq 3; Maududi (1967), Tafhimul Quran, Chapter Al Ahzab</ref> but was also divorced from a marriage with Muhammad's adopted son, Zayd ibn Haritha. It was this last issue that caused the most controversy, with traditional Arab norms at the time being opposed, though not the Qur'an (Sura Al-Ahzab 33:37).<ref>{{Quran|33|37}}</ref> | |||
According to Ibn Sa'd, after Zaynab's marriage to his adopted son Zayd, Muhammad went to visit him, but instead found 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 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. | |||
===Ali=== | |||
Muhammad also allowed the marriage of his daughter, Fatimah, to his cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who would later go on to become the fourth Rightly-guided [[Caliph]] of Islam. | |||
===Umar=== | |||
The second 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> | |||
<br /> | |||
==Relevant Quotes== | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|4|23}}|Prohibited to you (For marriage) are:- Your mothers, daughters, sisters; father's sisters, Mother's sisters; brother's daughters, sister's daughters; foster-mothers (Who gave you suck), foster-sisters; your wives' mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom ye have gone in,- no prohibition if ye have not gone in;- (Those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful;-}}{{Quote|{{Quran|33|50}}|O Prophet, indeed We have made lawful to you your wives to whom you have given their due compensation and those your right hand possesses from what Allah has returned to you [of captives] 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 believing woman if she gives herself to the Prophet [and] if the Prophet wishes to marry her, [this is] only for you, excluding the [other] believers. We certainly know what We have made obligatory upon them concerning their wives and those their right hands possess, [but this is for you] in order that there will be upon you no discomfort. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.}} | |||
<br /> | |||
==Science and Statistics== | ==Science and Statistics== | ||
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Worldwide, it has been estimated that almost half of all Muslims are inbred: | Worldwide, it has been estimated that almost half of all Muslims are inbred: | ||
A rough estimate shows that close to half of all Muslims in the world are inbred: In Pakistan, 70 percent of all marriages are between first cousins (so-called "consanguinity") and in Turkey the amount is between 25-30 percent.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://fpn.dk/liv/krop_valvare/article1616165.ece|2=2012-03-15}} More stillbirths among immigrants] - Jyllands-Posten, February 27, 2009</ref> | |||
Statistical research on Arabic countries shows that up to 34 percent of all marriages in Algiers are consanguine (blood related), 46 percent in Bahrain, 33 percent in Egypt, 80 percent in Nubia (southern area in Egypt), 60 percent in Iraq, 64 percent in Jordan, 64 percent in Kuwait, 42 percent in Lebanon, 48 percent in Libya, 47 percent in Mauritania, 54 percent in Qatar, 67 percent in Saudi Arabia, 63 percent in Sudan, 40 percent in Syria, 39 percent in Tunisia, 54 percent in the United Arabic Emirates and 45 percent in Yemen.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content/6/1/17/table/T1|2=2012-03-15}} Consanguinity and reproductive health among Arabs] - Tadmouri et al. ''Reproductive Health'' 2009 6: | Statistical research on Arabic countries shows that up to 34 percent of all marriages in Algiers are consanguine (blood related), 46 percent in Bahrain, 33 percent in Egypt, 80 percent in Nubia (southern area in Egypt), 60 percent in Iraq, 64 percent in Jordan, 64 percent in Kuwait, 42 percent in Lebanon, 48 percent in Libya, 47 percent in Mauritania, 54 percent in Qatar, 67 percent in Saudi Arabia, 63 percent in Sudan, 40 percent in Syria, 39 percent in Tunisia, 54 percent in the United Arabic Emirates and 45 percent in Yemen.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content/6/1/17/table/T1|2=2012-03-15}} Consanguinity and reproductive health among Arabs] - Tadmouri et al. ''Reproductive Health'' 2009 6:17</ref><ref>[http://europenews.dk/en/node/34368 Muslim Inbreeding: Impacts on intelligence, sanity, health and society] - Nicolai Sennels - EuropeNews, August 9, 2010</ref> | ||
The British geneticist, Professor Steve Jones, giving The John Maddox Lecture at the 2011 Hay Festival had stated in relation to Muslim inbreeding, "It is common in the Islamic world to marry your brother’s daughter, which is actually [genetically] closer than marrying your cousin."<ref>Jonathan Wynne-Jones - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/8544359/Hay-Festival-2011-Professor-risks-political-storm-over-Muslim-inbreeding.html|2=2011-05-31}} Hay Festival 2011: Professor risks political storm over Muslim 'inbreeding’] - The Telegraph, May 29, 2011</ref> | The British geneticist, Professor Steve Jones, giving The John Maddox Lecture at the 2011 Hay Festival had stated in relation to Muslim inbreeding, "It is common in the Islamic world to marry your brother’s daughter, which is actually [genetically] closer than marrying your cousin."<ref>Jonathan Wynne-Jones - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/8544359/Hay-Festival-2011-Professor-risks-political-storm-over-Muslim-inbreeding.html|2=2011-05-31}} Hay Festival 2011: Professor risks political storm over Muslim 'inbreeding’] - The Telegraph, May 29, 2011</ref> | ||
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{{Hub4|Health|Health}} | {{Hub4|Health|Health}} | ||
{{Hub4|Marriage|Marriage}} | {{Hub4|Marriage|Marriage}} | ||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
* | |||
*{{external link| url = http://islammonitor.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3921:incest-in-islam&catid=294:social-practices-interactions&Itemid=61| title = Incest in Islam| publisher = Islam Monitor| author = | date = | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislammonitor.org%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D3921%3Aincest-in-islam%26catid%3D294%3Asocial-practices-interactions%26Itemid%3D61&date=2013-12-03| deadurl = no}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ | {{Reflist|30em}} | ||
[[Category:Islam and Women]] | [[Category:Islam and Women]] | ||
[[Category:Islam and Science]] | [[Category:Islam and Science]] | ||