“Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, the daughters of your brothers, the daughters of your sisters, your foster-mothers who nursed you, your foster-sisters, the mothers of your wives, your stepdaughters in your care, born to your wives with whom you have consummated marriage—though if you have not consummated marriage with them, there is no blame upon you—and the wives of your sons who are from your own loins; and it is forbidden for you to be married to two sisters at once, except what has already passed. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (23)

His statement, exalted is He: “Forbidden to you are your mothers,” to the end of the verse. In this verse, Allah, exalted is He, sets forth those women forbidden in marriage by reason of family connection. The total number of women forbidden in the Book of Allah, exalted is He, is fourteen: seven by blood relation and seven by legal cause.

Of the seven forbidden by legal cause, two are forbidden through fosterage, four through marital affinity, and the seventh category is married women—that is, women who have husbands.

As for the seven forbidden by blood relation, they are mentioned in His statement, exalted is He: “Forbidden to you are your mothers.” This is the plural of “mother,” and includes grandmothers on both the maternal and paternal sides, however far removed. “Your daughters” is the plural of “daughter,” and includes the daughters of one’s children, however far down the line. “Your sisters” is the plural of “sister,” whether they share both parents or one of them. “Your paternal aunts” is the plural of “paternal aunt,” and includes all the sisters of one’s fathers and grandfathers, however far removed. “Your maternal aunts” is the plural of “maternal aunt,” and includes all the sisters of one’s mothers and grandmothers. “The daughters of your brothers and the daughters of your sisters” includes the daughters of the children of one’s brothers and sisters, however far down the line.

In summary, a man is forbidden to marry his ascendants, his descendants, the descendants of his nearest ascendants, and the first generation of descendants from every more remote ascendant. His ascendants are his mothers and grandmothers, and his descendants are his daughters and the daughters of his children. The descendants of his nearest ascendants are his sisters and the daughters of his brothers and sisters. The first generation of descendants from every more remote ascendant consists of his paternal and maternal aunts, however far removed.

As for those forbidden through fosterage, they are mentioned in His statement, exalted is He: “Your foster-mothers who nursed you and your foster-sisters.”