Is it Valid to Marry Your Wife’s Half-Sister?

Answered by Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra

Question

Can one marry one’s wife’s sister if they have different mothers, or how about a different father?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

It is not permissible to concurrently marry two sisters, whether they share both parents (full sisters) or only a mother or a father (i.e., half-sisters). The term “sister” applies to both of these relationships. [Kasani, Badai‘ al-Sanai‘]

This is established through the explicit text of the Quran: “And forbidden [in marriage] to you are your mothers, your daughters (…) and that you simultaneously combine two sisters [in marriage]…” [Quran, 4:23]

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdullah Anik Misra
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdullah Misra was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1983. His family hails from India, and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen, for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan, where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta’). He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance The Global Islamic Seminary. Currently, He resides in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian history, comparative religion, English singing, and poetry.