Q. Is not the sister of a man’s wife mehrem, because the Qur’an forbids marrying two sisters at the same time?

Zaheer Malik, Peoria, Illinois.

Dear Br. Zaheer Malik Assalamo Alaikum!

Answer.

You are trying to infer from the following verse of the Qur’an:

وَأَن تَجمَعُوا بَينَ الأُختَينِ إِلاَّ مَا قَد سَلَفَ ۗ

And two sisters (are prohibited) in wedlock at one and the same time. (An-Nisa 4: 23)

But your inference is totally wrong. Let us first understand the concept of mehrem. A man and a woman are mehrem to each other by blood or marriage or milk, because Islam forbids them to marry each other under all present and future circumstances (i.e. whatsoever be the condition or situation in the future). For example, mothers and their sons either by blood or milk or marriage will always remain mehrem to each other. Similarly, brothers and sisters, by blood or milk, are mehrem to each other. Fathers and their daughters, by blood or milk or marriage, are mehrem to each other. Uncles and their nieces by blood are mehrem to each other. Aunts and their nephews by blood are mehrem to each other. All these men and women are not allowed to marry each other whatever be the circumstances.

         Marrying two sisters at the same time is forbidden. Similarly, the Prophet (S) has forbidden men to marry aunt and her niece at the same time. This does not make the sister-in-law a mehrem, because if the present wife dies or divorces her husband, he can then marry his sister-in-law. Similarly, if the present wife dies or divorces, he can marry her aunt or niece.

         Look at your question with a different angle. Suppose a man has four wives at a time. Now he can not marry any other woman as long as he has four wives. Does this mean all the women of the word have become his mehrem? Certainly not!