416. The Different Kinds Of Mahrams

By Asma Bint Shameem

*MAHRAMS THROUGH BLOOD* 

These are the ones mentioned in Soorat al-Noor::

“… and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons…” [al-Noor 24:31].

So the mahrams by ties of blood, as stated clearly in this aayah or inferred by it are:

1- the woman’s forefathers, no matter how far back the line of ascent goes through her father and her mother, such as her father’s forefathers and her mother’s forefathers.

2- her sons, which includes her children’s children, no matter how the line of descent goes and whether they are descended from males or females, such as her sons’ sons and her daughters’ sons. 

3- her brothers, whether they are her brothers through both the mother and father, or through the father only or the mother only.

4- the children of her siblings, whether they are descended through the males or females, such as the sons of her sister’s daughters.

5- paternal uncles and maternal uncles. They are mahrams by blood even though they are not mentioned in the aayah, because they are like parents and are regarded by people as having the same status as parents, and a paternal uncle may be called a father. Allaah says:

“Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya‘qoob (Jacob)? When he said unto his sons, “What will you worship after me?” They said, “We shall worship your Ilaah (God — Allaah) the Ilaah (God) of your fathers, Ibraaheem (Abraham), Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac)…” [al-Baqarah 2:133]. Ismaa’eel was the paternal uncle of the sons of Ya’qoob.

(Tafseer al-Raazi, 23/206; Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 12/232, 233; Tafseer al-Aaloosi, 18/143; Fath al-Bayaan fi Maqaasid al-Qur’aan by Siddeeq Hasan Khaan, 6/352)

*MAHRAMS through breastfeeding* (ar-radaa’ah)

A woman’s mahrams through breastfeeding are the same as her mahrams through blood ties. 

The scholars said:

“The relationship of mahram which permits a woman to show her adornments may be through radaa’ah as well as through blood ties, so it is permissible for a woman to show her adornments to those who are her fathers or sons through radaa’ah.” (Tafseer al-Aaloosi. 18/143) 

The relationship of mahram by radaa’ah is like the relationship of mahram by blood – it means that marriage is forever forbidden by virtue of that relationship of mahram. 

This was the view stated by Imaam al-Jassaas when he commented on this aayah. 

He said: “When Allaah mentioned the fathers and that their marriage to these women is forbidden forever, this indicates that the same prohibition applies in other relationships of mahram, such as the mother of the woman and those who are mahrams by radaa’ah, etc.” (Ahkaam al-Qur’aan by al-Jassaas, 3/317).

The same things are made haraam by radaa’ah (breastfeeding) as by ties of blood.

It also says in the Sunnah: “The same things are made haraam by radaa’ah as by ties of blood.” This means that the people who are mahram to a woman because of blood ties are also mahram because of breastfeeding. 

Proof:

Aa’ishah radhi Allaahu anhaa said 

that her uncle by radaa’ah, who was called Aflah, asked permission to see her and she did not let him. 

She told the Messenger Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and he said to her, 

“Do not observe hijaab in front of him, because the same relationships of mahram are created by radaa’ah as by blood ties.” (Saheeh Muslim)

 *MAHRAMS BY MARRIAGE*

That would be 

1 - Father-in-law and his forefathers 

2 - son-in-law 

 The scholars said:

“A woman’s mahrams by marriage are those whom it is forever forbidden to marry, such as the father’s wife, the son’s wife or the wife’s mother.” (Sharh al-Muntahaa, 3/7).

“The mahram by marriage of the father’s wife is his son from another wife, for the wife of the son it is his father, and for the mother of the wife it is the husband. 

 Allaah says in Soorat al-Noor:

“… and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons…” [al-Noor 24:31]. 

Their husband’s fathers and their husband’s sons are mahrams of the woman by marriage. 

Allaah mentioned them along with their (the women’s own) fathers and sons, and made them all the same in the sense that women may display their adornments in front of them.”(Al-Mughni, 6/555)

And Allaah knows best