Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/110)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

to the father, or a maternal aunt of the grandfather, or a maternal aunt of the mother, or a maternal aunt of the grandmother. The same applies to the paternal aunt. As for their daughters, they are lawful for marriage. This is why he said, “every paternal aunt,” and did not say, “her daughter.”

Thus, those permanently forbidden in marriage are: one’s mother, however high in the ascending line; one’s daughter, however remote in descent; one’s sister and her descendants; the descendants of one’s brother; one’s paternal aunt; and one’s maternal aunt. These are seven. Yet the verse spares you the need for the author’s formulation, which involves some complexity. Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, the daughters of your brother, and the daughters of your sister.” [al-Nisaʾ 4:23]

These, then, are seven categories forbidden through blood relationship: your mothers, however high in the ascending line; your daughters, however remote in descent; your sisters, whether full sisters, sisters through the father, or sisters through the mother, along with their descendants; your paternal aunts, however high in the ascending line—but we do not say, “however remote in descent,” because the daughter of a paternal aunt is lawful—as is likewise the daughter of a maternal aunt; the daughters of your brother, however remote in descent; and the daughters of your sister, however remote in descent. These are seven categories prohibited by explicit text and scholarly consensus; no scholar has differed concerning this.

As for the daughter of a fornicator, she falls under the general import of His saying, “your daughters.” She is his daughter in a physical sense, but not in the legal sense. Therefore, she does not inherit, yet she is forbidden to him in marriage, because the rulings of marriage are more precautionary than those of inheritance. She does not inherit from him because she is not legally ascribed to him, but she is nevertheless forbidden to him.

Some scholars have said that she is not forbidden to him, but this is a weak view. How could she not be forbidden to the fornicator when she was created from his semen? If breastfeeding from the husband’s milk establishes a prohibition of marriage, then this case is all the more deserving of that ruling.

للأب، أو خالة للجد، أو خالة للأم، أو خالة للجدة، وكذلك يقال في العمة، أما بناتهن فحلال، ولهذا قال: «وكل عمة» ولم يقل: وبنتها. إذاً المحرمات إلى الأبد: الأم وإن علت، والبنت وإن نزلت، والأخت وما تفرع عنها، وما تفرع عن الأخ، والعمة، والخالة، هذه سبع، لكن الآية تغنيك عن هذا الذي قاله المؤلف، مع ما فيه من شيء من التعقيد، قال الله تعالى: ﴿حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الأُخْتِ﴾ [النساء: ٢٣]، فهولاء سبعة حرام بالنسب، أمهاتكم وإن علون، وبناتكم وإن نزلن، وأخواتكم، سواء كن شقيقات أو لأب أو لأم، وما تفرع عنهن، وعماتكم وإن علون، ولا نقول: وإن نزلن؛ لأن بنت العمة حلال، وكذلك بالنسبة لبنت الخالة، وبنات الأخ وإن نزلن، وبنات الأخت وإن نزلن، فهذه سبع محرمات بالنص والإجماع، ولم يخالف في هذا أحد من أهل العلم. أما بنت الزاني فتدخل في عموم قوله تعالى: ﴿وَبَنَاتُكُمْ﴾ لكنها بنت قدراً وليست بنتاً شرعاً، ولذلك لا ترث ولكنها حرام؛ لأن باب النكاح أحوط من باب الميراث، فهي لا ترث؛ لأنها لا تنسب إليه، ولكنها حرام عليه. وقال بعض أهل العلم: إنها ليست حراماً، لكنه قول ضعيف، وكيف لا تكون حراماً على الزاني وقد خُلِقت من مائه، وإذا كان الرضاع من لبن الزوج مؤثراً في التحريم، فهذا من باب أولى.