Cousin Marriage in Islamic Law: Difference between revisions

This article discusses cousin [[marriage]] in [[Islam]], and the [[health]]-risks involved in such practices.

Cousin marriage is explicitly allowed in Islam as seen in [[Surah|chapter]] 4 verse 23 of the [[Qur'an]]:

{{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;-}}

Even though there is some debate on this issue, scientists tend to agree it is genetically unhealthy. There are other problems with cousin marriages. According to the Hanafi [[Madh'hab|school of legists]], a man may give his daughter in marriage to his brother's son without her consent. This obviously goes against free will which results in unhappy marriages.

[[Muhammad]] himself married cousins, as he did with [[Qur'an,_Hadith_and_Scholars:Wives_and_Concubines_of_Muhammad#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>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, Muhammad went to pay Zayd a visit, but instead found a hastily clad Zaynab. Though he did not enter the house, the sight of her pleased him. Tabari embroiders the story; according to him Zaynab was only wearing a single slip, and the wind pushed away a curtain when Muhammad entered, revealing her "uncovered." In any case, 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. 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. 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>

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.  

In [[Pakistan]], where there has been cousin marriage for generations, and according to professor Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen from South Danish University, the current rate is 70%,<ref>[http://fpn.dk/liv/krop_valvare/article1616165.ece Flere dødfødsler blandt indvandrere (Danish language)] - fpn.dk,February 27, 2009</ref> one study estimated infant mortality at 12.7 percent for married double first cousins, 7.9 percent for first cousins, 9.2 percent for first cousins once removed/double second cousins, 6.9 percent for second cousins, and 5.1 percent among non-consanguineous progeny. Among double first cousin progeny, 41.2 percent of pre-reproductive deaths were associated with the expression of detrimental recessive genes, with equivalent values of 26.0, 14.9, and 8.1 percent for first cousins, first cousins once removed/double second cousins, and second cousins respectively.  

 

{{Quote||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><BR><BR>

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  doi:10.1186/1742-4755-6-17</ref><ref>Nicolai Sennels - [http://europenews.dk/en/node/34368 Muslim Inbreeding: Impacts on intelligence, sanity, health and society] - EuropeNews, August 9, 2010</ref>}}

* [[Marriage]] ''- A hub page that leads to other articles related to Marriage''

*[http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503544772 Islamic View on Marrying Cousins] ''- Islam Online''

*[http://islammonitor.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3921:incest-in-islam&catid=294:social-practices-interactions&Itemid=61 Incest in Islam] ''- Islam Monitor''

{{reflist}}