Title

This is a query in reply to your Fatwa # 18573 from Pakistan. Isn't your word contradictory to Surah Nisa, verse 23, where women with whom Nikah is haram are mentioned. {Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's

Question

This is a query in reply to your Fatwa # 18573 from Pakistan. Isn't your word contradictory to Surah Nisa, verse 23, where women with whom Nikah is haram are mentioned. {Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your foster mother who gave you suck, your foster milk suckling sisters, your wives' mothers, your step daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have gone in - but there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry their daughters), - the wives of your sons who (spring) from your own loins, and two sisters in wedlock at the same time, except for what has already passed; verily, Allâh is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [4:23]. It says that there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry their daughters). If Quran said so, why is this question even debated ? is their a particular reason for that ? Kindly explain. Also, many scholars to whom I have asked this question (in Pakistan and some other countries), does not agree to what you say. Is this issue controversial in the eyes of the four great imams ( Imam Malik, Humbal, Shafi and Hanafi ‘s fiqa )? What should a common person follow then ?

Answer

In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

If you are a layman and a Hanafī then you are bound to follow the rulings of the Hanafī Madhab. Hereunder are the references of the ruling for the benefit of the Ulamā you referred to:

و لنا ان المس و النظر سبب داع الى الوطى فيقام مقامه فى موضع الاحتياط( هداية,ص 309,ج2)
   و حكى الطحاوى اجماع السلف فى ان التقبيل و  اللمس عن شهوة يوجب حرمة المصاهرة  (الاختيار ص 109 ج3)

ولنا قوله تعالى { وأمهات نسائكم } كلام تام بنفسه منفصل عن المذكور بعده لأنه مبتدأ وخبر إذ هو معطوف على ما تقدم ذكره من قوله { حرمت عليكم أمهاتكم وبناتكم }  إلى قوله عز وجل { وأمهات نسائكم } والمعطوف يشارك المعطوف عليه في خبره ويكون خبر الأول خبرا للثاني.......... فكان معنى قوله تعالى { وأمهات نسائكم } أي وحرمت عليكم أمهات نسائكم ،وأنه مطلق عن شرط الدخول، فمن ادعى أن الدخول المذكور في آخر الكلمات منصرف إلى الكل فعليه الدليل( بدائع الصنائع ص 532 ج 2)

والسبب يقوم مقام المسبب في موضع الاحتياط(533.... ))محيط البرهاني ص89 ج4) ( بدائع الصنائع ص 533 ج 2)
وليس فيها نفي الحرمة عند عدم الدخول( بدائع الصنائع ص 533 ج 2)

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum

Ml. Muhammed Sindhi,
Student Dārul Iftā

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Dārul Iftā