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Observing Hijab from a brother-in-law

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Assalam-u-Alaikum, During Iddat my younger sister didn’t emerge before the husband of my elder sister. My brother in law (husband of elder sister) claimed that he is mahram for her because her elder sister is in my nikah and it is haram for a person to have two sisters in nikah at the same time. Kindly guide us in the light of Shariah. Is he person correct in his claim and also as long as a woman is in the nikah of a person, is that person become mahram for sisters of that woman?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

1. In principle, it is Haram (prohibited) for a man to be married to two sisters at the same time.[1] Allah Ta’ala says:

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ …….. وَأَن تَجْمَعُواْ بَيْنَ الأُخْتَيْنِ إَلاَّ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ (النساء: ٢٣)

Translation: Prohibited to you [for marriage] are ………. and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. (Al-Nisa: 23)

 

2. In principle, a brother-in-law is Ghair Mahram for his sister-in-law. There is a potential of nikah between a brother-in-law and sister-in-law.[2] It is compulsory to observe the laws of Hijab between Ghair Mahrams and more so between the brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Furthermore, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) warned woman against the danger of a brother-in-law and stated:

الحمو الموت (: ٥٢٣٢صحيح البخاري)

Translation: The brother-in-law is death. (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 5232) [3]

The death referred to in this Hadith refers to spiritual death. The brother-in-law has easy access to his sister-in-law due to being family which has a potential of developing feelings and could be disastrous to the marriage.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abdullah Syed Sajid

Student Darul Iftaa
Houston, TX, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.


الفتاوى الهندية (1/ 277) [1]

(وَأَمَّا الْجَمْعُ بَيْنَ ذَوَاتِ الْأَرْحَامِ) فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُجْمَعُ بَيْنَ أُخْتَيْنِ بِنِكَاحٍ وَلَا بِوَطْءٍ بِمِلْكِ يَمِينٍ سَوَاءٌ كَانَتَا أُخْتَيْنِ مِنْ النَّسَبِ أَوْ مِنْ الرَّضَاعِ هَكَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ

بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 262)

 فَنَقُولُ: لَا خِلَافَ فِي أَنَّ الْجَمْعَ بَيْنَ الْأُخْتَيْنِ فِي النِّكَاحِ حَرَامٌ؛ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَأَنْ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الأُخْتَيْنِ} [النساء: 23] مَعْطُوفًا عَلَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ} [النساء: 23]

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (3/ 38) [2]

مَاتَتْ امْرَأَتُهُ لَهُ التَّزَوُّجُ بِأُخْتِهَا بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ مَوْتِهَا كَمَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ عَنْ الْأَصْلِ

فتاوى محموديه (جلد ١٧/ ص ٤٩)

 صحيح البخاري (7/ 37) [3]

حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، حدثنا ليث، عن يزيد بن أبي حبيب، عن أبي الخير، عن عقبة بن عامر: أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «إياكم والدخول على النساء» فقال رجل من الأنصار: يا رسول الله، أفرأيت الحمو؟ قال: الحمو الموت

 

 

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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