12thFeruary 2020
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: A married couple – who have had a child together – are now divorced. Does the ex-mother-in-law/ex-father-in-law remain as mahaarim to the man and woman, respectively?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your particular question, the ex-mother in-law/father in-law remains a mahram even after divorce. According to a prophetic narration, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Any man who marries a woman and then divorces her before he consummates with her then he can marry her daughter but not her mother.”[1]According to Hasan al-Basri rahimahullah, it is makrooh (not permitted) for a woman to marry her husband’s father after divorce due to the Quranic verse, “…(and prohibited for you to marry] the wives of your sons” [4:23].[2] This the same view which the mainstream Hanafies have adopted. This suggests that even after divorce the mother/father in-law still remain a mahram.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Kasān, Badā’i Sanāi, Kitāb al-Nikah, Fasl Muharramat bil Musaharat, vol 2 p. 258 – shamila
وَرُوِيَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا – عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «إذَا نَكَحَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَةً ثُمَّ طَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا فَلَهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ ابْنَتَهَا وَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الْأُمَّ» وَهَذَا نَصٌّ فِي الْمَسْأَلَتَيْنِ، وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ – قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ: – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً فَطَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا أَوْ مَاتَتْ عِنْدَهُ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ بِنْتَهَا، وَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةَ فَطَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا أَوْ مَاتَتْ عِنْدَهُ فَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ أُمَّهَا»
[2] Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah
16214 – أَبُو دَاوُدَ، عَنْ أَبِي حُرَّةَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، فِي الرَّجُلِ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً فَطَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا أَيَتَزَوَّجُهَا أَبُوهُ؟ فَكَرِهَ، وَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمْ} [النساء: 23]