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The adulteress/ fornicator’s relatives who are unlawful for the adulterer/ fornicator to marry

Question

When an adult man commits Zina (adultery or fornication) with an adult woman, does adultery render some of her relatives unlawful for him to marry?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

When a man commits Zina (adultery or fornication) with an adult woman, he is forbidden to marry her mother or daughter and it also becomes prohibited that such a woman marries the adulterer's father or son, as would happen if they were lawfully married. An adulterer is forbidden to marry the adulteress’ sister unless the adulteress is sure that she is not pregnant and this can be ascertained by menstruating one time or until she has delivered her baby if she is pregnant. The same ruling is applied when he wants to marry her paternal or maternal aunt.

When a man commits adultery with his wife’s sister, he has to refrain from having intercourse with his wife until her sister menstruates three times. This is according to Ahmad  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him.

The opinion that unlawful sex renders some originally marriageable women unlawful to marry is related on the authority of ‘Imraan ibn Husayn  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him Al-Hasan, ‘Ataa’, Taawoos, Mujaahid, Ash-Sha‘bi, An-Nakha‘i and Ath-Thawri  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them. And, this ruling is adopted by the Hanafi and the Hanbali scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them.

Allaah Knows best.

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