Fatwa ID: 08083

Answered by: Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad

Question:

Is it possible for a man who is already married to get a second marriage to a girl who is the sister of his first wife, and the first wife is present? Is it valid in Islam or not?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

It is impermissible in Islam for a man to marry two sisters at the same time. This prohibition is explicitly mentioned in the Quran:  

﴿حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَیۡكُمۡ أُمَّهَـٰتُكُمۡ وَبَنَاتُكُمۡ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُمۡ وَعَمَّـٰتُكُمۡ وَخَـٰلَـٰتُكُمۡ … وَأَن تَجۡمَعُوا۟ بَیۡنَ ٱلۡأُخۡتَیۡنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدۡ سَلَفَۗ﴾

“Forbidden to you for marriage are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters … nor two sisters together at the same time, except for what has already passed.” [Surah An-Nisa 4:23] [2]

While a man is married to one sister, he cannot marry her biological or foster sister unless the first marriage is dissolved, either by divorce or the passing of the first wife. Fatawa Hindiyyah states:

«(وَأَمَّا الْجَمْعُ بَيْنَ ذَوَاتِ الْأَرْحَامِ) فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُجْمَعُ بَيْنَ أُخْتَيْنِ بِنِكَاحٍ»

(As for the union of uterine [blood] relatives), two sisters cannot be combined in one marriage. [1]  

The wisdom behind this prohibition is to maintain harmony and avoid enmity or rivalry between close family members, which could harm familial relationships.  

Therefore, it is not valid in Islam for a man to be married to two sisters at the same time, even if the first wife is present and consenting.  

Only Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) knows best.

Written by Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] (وَأَمَّا الْجَمْعُ بَيْنَ ذَوَاتِ الْأَرْحَامِ) فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُجْمَعُ بَيْنَ أُخْتَيْنِ بِنِكَاحٍ
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 277, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[2] حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَـٰتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُمْ وَعَمَّـٰتُكُمْ وَخَـٰلَـٰتُكُمْ … وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ
(Surah An-Nisa 4:23)