The Holy Quran, as a radiant beacon, guides humanity in regulating human relations and organising the family system. Verses 22 and part of verse 23 of Surah An-Nis delineate, with clear and decisive wording, the limits of marriage prohibitions. These verses not only provide a jurisprudential framework for structuring familial bonds but also, through profound insight into social, biological, and ethical dimensions, promote familial distribution as a life-giving process within society. This treatise, relying on deep jurisprudential and interdisciplinary analyses, elucidates these verses and, by employing eloquent and steadfast prose, clarifies the sublime Quranic meanings for readers.
وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَمَقْتًا وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا
And do not marry women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed. Indeed, it is an immorality, abhorrent, and an evil way.
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ وَأُمَّهَاتُ نِسَائِكُمْ وَرَبَائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُمْ مِنْ نِسَائِكُمُ اللَّاتِي دَخَلْتُمْ بِهِنَّ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُونُوا دَخَلْتُمْ بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَابِكُمْ وَأَنْ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
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 who are in your guardianship from your wives with whom you have consummated marriageand if you have not consummated with them, there is no sin upon youand the wives of your sons who are from your loins, and [prohibited is] that you marry two sisters simultaneously, except what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
The discussed verses, like steadfast pillars, outline a systematic framework for regulating family relationships in Islam. By elucidating marriage prohibitions, these verses prevent familial congestion, which acts like a heavy shadow adversely affecting the physical, psychological, and social health of the community. The marriage prohibitions are categorised into two types: asal (permanent) and ra (milk kinship), each of which, like the branches of a robust tree, strengthen familial order and coherence.
Verse 22 of Surah An-Nis explicitly forbids marriage with women whom ones fathers or ancestors have married. The term آباء in this verse acts as a broad umbrella, encompassing father, grandfather, and all forebears. This breadth indicates the comprehensive scope of the ruling and the Qurans commitment to safeguarding the sanctity of familial relationships. The phrase مِنَ النِّسَاءِ serves as a clarifying key, removing any ambiguity for the addressees and emphasising the prohibition of marriage with fathers wives.
The exception إلا ما قد سلف functions as a bridge between past and present, signalling the gradual nature of legal reforms within the context of pre-Islamic ignorance. In that era, marriage with fathers wives was prevalent and constituted a socially disruptive and morally repugnant custom. The Quran condemns this act as fisha (immorality), maqtan (detestable in the divine view), and sa sabln (an evil path), each descriptor acting as a mirror reflecting the ethical and legal repugnance of this practice.
Verse 23 of Surah An-Nis enumerates fourteen categories of marriage prohibitions, including asal (such as mothers, daughters, sisters) and ra (such as foster mothers and foster sisters). This list serves as a precise map, specifying forbidden relationships to prevent familial congestion and its detrimental consequences.
The exception إلا ما قد سلف regarding marrying two sisters simultaneously is also a sign of divine mercy, reflecting gradual reforms within the pre-Islamic society. The attributes غفور (Forgiving) and رحيم (Merciful) at the verses conclusion fall like a shower of mercy, emphasising divine forgiveness for past transgressions.
Familial congestion acts like a heavy burden, reducing genetic diversity and increasing the risk of physical and psychological illnesses. The Holy Quran, promoting familial distribution like a wise gardener, endeavours to cultivate a healthy and dynamic society. This approach not only guarantees genetic health but also strengthens social cohesion and diversity.
In various cultures, like diverse colours in a grand painting, different rules regulate marriage. Some tribes, through consanguineous marriages, preserve wealth within the family; however, this practice, like a poisonous wind, exacerbates social inequality. The Holy Quran, by aligning with and gradually reforming Arab culture, acts as a skilled physician, curing social maladies and establishing a just system.
The rulings on marriage prohibitions stand as a firm structure, perfectly precise and unambiguous. These rulings, in both asal and ra forms, equally ensure the orderliness of familial relationships. Temporary prohibitions, such as those relating to irm, though recognised in Islamic jurisprudence, lack this fundamental nature and are not emphasised in these verses.
The explication of marriage prohibitions requires an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates jurisprudence, biology, anthropology, and psychology. This approach, like light passing through a multifaceted prism, illuminates the diverse dimensions of Quranic rulings and offers a deeper understanding of divine wisdom.
Verses 22 and 23 of Surah An-Nis, like stars in the firmament of guidance, organise the family system through clarifying marriage prohibitions. These verses, by emphasising familial distribution and preventing consanguineous congestion, uphold genetic health, social cohesion, and familial sanctity. The exception إلا ما قد سلف signals divine mercy and gradual reform in the pre-Islamic context. The firm and permanent rulings, combined with parity between biological and milk kinship prohibitions, provide robust order to family relations. Examining these verses through an interdisciplinary lens reflects divine wisdom and mercy in regulating human relationships.
