ISLAM 101: MAHRAM Mahram – This is a category that refers to anyone a man or a woman cannot marry at anytime in their life Ghayr Mahram – This is a category that refers to anyone a man or a woman can marry at anytime in their life whatsoever or anyone who is temporarily forbidden for them (I.e your wife’s sister). If a man marries a Ghayr Mahram woman, she will become a mahram (inc her relations, see below) as she is his wife now and vice versa MEN: Mahrams: – Wife – Father’s wives (Mother, Step mothers) – Mothers and above (i.e. grandmothers, great grandmothers etc, maternal or paternal) – Daughters and below (i.e. granddaughters, great granddaughters, etc, step daughter (only after the couple have consummated) – Sisters (Real sister, Half sisters) – Aunts (Paternal/Maternal, their half sisters) – Nieces (Daughters of brother/sister and any half/ daughters) – Foster* Mother (A lady by whom one was breast fed before the age of two) – Foster* Sister (A female who was breastfed by the same lady as one was) – Mother-in-law and above (i.e. grandmother-in-law, great grandmother-in-law etc, maternal or paternal) – Daughter-in-law and below (i.e. son’s wife, grandson’s wife etc) The women listed above are women he is not allowed to marry (exception of wife) therefore his mahram, any woman not mentioned are listed as ghayr mahram. Some women are temporarily a mahram, i.e a man can not marry his sister in law, but if his wife passes away, then that restriction is lifted, he is now able to marry. WOMEN Mahrams: – Husband – Step father (with the condition that both stepfather and one’s mother have consummated) – Fathers and above (grandfathers, great grandfathers etc, maternal or paternal) – Sons and below (grandsons, great grandsons, step sons) – Brothers (real brothers, half brothers) – Uncles (Paternal/Maternal, their half brothers) – Nephews (Sons of brother/sister and any half daughters) – Foster son (i.e. a boy who a lady has breastfed before the age of two) – Foster Brother (i.e. a male who was breast fed by the same lady as one was) – Father-in-law and above (i.e. grandfather-in-law, great grandfather-in-law etc, maternal or paternal) – Son-in-law and below (i.e. daughters husband, granddaughters husband etc) Similarly as men, The men listed above are men he is not allowed to marry (exception of husband) therefore his mahram, any man not mentioned are listed as ghayr mahram. *Foster: Milk mothers who nursed you before the age of two. Whoever is made forbidden through genealogical relation is forbidden through fosterage. In simple terms, one’s foster mother is like one’s mother and her children become one’s foster brothers and sisters and her father becomes one’s foster grandfather and similarly all those types of people normally forbidden are also forbidden in fosterage (i.e. foster father/mother, foster brother/sister, foster uncle/aunt, foster daughter/son etc). ** A half brother or sister shares one parent biologically. A step brother or sister is where 2 people who already have kids, marry, there is no blood relation. The list above is a summary of: Surah: 4 An-Nisaa, Verse: 22-23 And do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married, except what has already occurred. Indeed, it was an immorality and hateful [to Allah ] and was evil as a way. Prohibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father’s sisters, your mother’s sisters, your brother’s daughters, your sister’s daughters, your [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives’ mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful. Surah: 24 An-Noor, Verse: 31 And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
