In Islam, a ''mahram'' is a family member with whom marriage would be considered permanently unlawful (''

haram ''Haram'' (; ar, حَرَام, , ) is an Arabic term meaning 'Forbidden'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowle ...

''). One's spouse is also a mahram. A woman does not need to wear

hijab In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While s ...

around her mahram, and an adult male mahram may escort a woman on a journey, although an escort may not be obligatory.

Overview

People with whom marriage is prohibited

* permanent or blood ''mahrams'' include: ** all direct ancestors ** all direct descendants ** siblings ** siblings of parents, grandparents and further antecedents ** children and further descendants of siblings *

in-law In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity is the kinship relationship created or that exists between two people as a result of someone's marriage. It is the relationship which each party to a marriage has to the relations of the other part ...

''mahrams'' with whom one becomes ''mahram'' by marrying someone: ** all the ancestors of one's spouse ** all the descendants of one's spouse ** all who marry a direct ancestor ** all who marry a direct descendant (Note: A woman may marry her stepfather only if the stepfather has not consummated his marriage to her mother.) * ''Rada'' or "milk-suckling ''mahrams''" with whom one becomes ''mahram'' because of being nursed by the same woman: ** foster mother ** foster sibling When a woman acts as a

wetnurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cu ...

(that is she breast feeds an infant that is not her own child for a certain amount of time under certain conditions), she becomes the child's ''rada'' mother. In English these can be referred to as

milk brother Milk kinship, formed during nursing by a non-biological mother, was a form of fostering allegiance with fellow community members. This particular form of kinship did not exclude particular groups, such that class and other hierarchal systems did ...

, milk-mother, and so on. For a man, ''mahram'' women include his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, grandaunt, niece, grandniece, his father's wife, his wife's daughter (step-daughter), his daughter-in-law (if previously married to his biological son. She's not ''mahram'' if she was married to his adopted son), his mother-in-law, his ''rada'' mother and ''rada'' sister. As the Prophet Mohamed said, "What is forbidden by reason of kinship is forbidden by reason of suckling." These are considered ''mahram'' because they are mentioned in the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , ...

(An-Nisa 22–23): All of the man's female relatives mentioned in these two verses are considered his ''maharim'', because it is unlawful (''haram'') for him to marry them, except the wife's sister, whom he can marry if he divorces her sister, or if his wife dies. The notion of ''mahram'' is reciprocal. All other relatives are considered non-''maharim''.

Legal escorts of women during journey

A woman may be legally escorted during a journey by her husband, or by any sane, adult male ''mahram'' by blood, although an escort may not be required, including: *her father, grandfather or other male ancestor *her son, grandson or other male descendant *her brother *her uncle, great uncle, or uncle from a previous generation *the son, grandson, or other descendant of her sibling

Rules

Mahram

A Muslim woman's ''mahrams'' form the group of allowable escorts when she travels. For a spouse, being ''mahram'' is a permanent condition. That means, for example, that a man will remain ''mahram'' to his ex-mother-in-law after divorcing her daughter.

References