Fatwa ID: 03938

Answered by: Maulana Naieem Mohammad

Question

As Salaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah,

Is there any way to make a stepfather’s brother into one’s mahram?

There’s a widow with a young daughter. She’s remarrying or thinking of it. She doesn’t want to ever tell her daughter that her new husband isn’t the daughter’s father, in case she feels inferior or different to other kids they may have in the future In shaa Allaah. So she’s trying to figure out how to make his brother the daughter’s mahram. The brother’s wife isn’t in the position to nurse.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu,

The categories of Mahram have already been mentioned in the Quran. Allah has stated; Sura An Nisaa, ayat 23:

“Prohibited 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 [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives’ mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.”

Besides the abovementioned groups, there are no other groups of persons who may be termed as Mahram except the spouses (husbands and wives). There will be no way of altering the law of Allah to make her stepfather’s brother in a mahram.

The best course of action is to show her additional kindness and love, then allow her to know the truth when she is mature enough. Children will eventually turn into adults inshaa Allah, and if you hide the truth from her or deceive her in any way concerning such an important matter, she will eventually find out and this may negatively impact her.

All children have the right to know who their parents are and keeping the truth of her father’s identity from her would be considered as a form of oppression.

May Allah guide you and me to always acknowledge the truth and accept it, even though it may be a bitter pill to swallow.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Naieem Mohammad

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham