Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brothers,

Assalamu Alaikum,

I pray to Allah (swt) for you Brothers & Sisters for their good health, happiness and prosperity. Aameen!

who are doing such a noble work for which you will be rewarded by Allah (swt)

I am Muslim believer, I have one doubt which is mensioned below which Insha Allah you can clarify.

In Islam cousins (whether of they are maternal or paternal cousins) are not 'mehrams' thus marrying one's cousins is absolutely permissible in Islam, if one wishes to do so.

(Ref. the Holy Quran chapter Surah Nissa-4:23)

But now a days I heard that due to above relations the blessed children are being affected by `Thallasemia` is it fact?

I am not forgetting that there is no Holy book except The Glorious QURAN. which is word of Allah (swt) and no human/Jinn on the face of the earth can find any error in this Holy book till the day of judgement.

I appriciate your affort & pray to Allah (swt) for your good helath.

If I have made any mistake in my above statement then please correct me.

JazakAllah and Was Salaam,

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Marry cousins lawful children disease

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 23:

23 Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: your mother, daughters, sisters, father's sisters, mother's sisters, brother's daughters, sister's daughters, foster-mothers (who gave you suck), foster-sisters, your wives' mothers, your step-daughters under your guardianship born of your wives to whom ye have gone in, no prohibition if ye have not gone in; (those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins, and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Your Question: ….But now a days I heard that due to above relations the blessed children are being affected by `Thallasemia` is it fact?

Cousins are not amongst those relations whom the All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord has forbidden to be sought in marriage; thus marrying one’s cousins is absolutely permissible in Islam, if one wishes to do so.

Islam has not commanded that one must marry their cousins, but only given permission for those who do wish to seek marriage amongst their cousins. If modern science or genetic research have indeed proved and one fears that such a marriage might be detrimental for one’s health and/or increase the chances of hereditary ailments being transmitted, then one may very well choose not to marry one’s cousins and marry another eligible woman instead.

Islam has declared the consumption of what is known as ‘red-meat’ (flesh of camel, beef, sheep, goats, etc.) as lawful, but modern science has proved that the consumption of ‘red-meat’ severely increases the chances of gaining ‘bad-cholesterol’ which may be harmful for one’s health….but that does not mean that ‘red-meat’ should have been declared unlawful or prohibited in Islam. If one has a medical condition and the consumption of ‘red-meat’ might further damage or be detrimental for the health, one may very well chose to abstain from consuming ‘red-meat’.

One must remember that it is not as if all marriages amongst cousins result in genetically transferred ailments, but science and modern genetic research state that if the genes of one’s lineage do have some specific ailments, the chances of their off-springs protracting those ailments are higher than those who do not marry those with common genes.

Cousins are considered non-mehrams in Islam, and Allah Subhanah has permitted the believers to marry amongst their cousins if they wish to do so; but if one wishes to marry any other eligible non-mehram for any reason whatsoever, they are well within their rights to do so.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan