A Widow's Dilemma: Marrying Her Brother-In-Law In Islam

Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow. While this practice is forbidden in Islam, a Muslim widow is allowed to marry her brother-in-law if she chooses to do so. This was a custom in Pre-Islamic Arabia, where a widow was inherited by her late husband's family, who could decide to marry her to one of their own. In modern times, this practice is observed in parts of Africa and South America, where it is considered a way to protect the widow and her children, ensuring they have a male provider and protector.

In Islam, a widow is free to marry anyone or remain unmarried

In Islam, a widow is free to marry anyone she chooses or remain unmarried. There are no restrictions upon her, except for observing the mourning period.

In pre-Islamic times, it was customary for a widow to be inherited by her late husband's family, who could decide whether to marry her to one of their own, or to another man, or prevent her from remarrying altogether. This custom was forbidden by the Quran:

> لا يحل لكم أن ترثوا النساء كرها

> It is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion

While a widow is free to marry her late husband's brother if she wishes, and this is permissible in Islam, she is not obliged to do so. A man is neither forbidden from marrying his brother's widow nor is he required to marry her, regardless of whether they have children together. This type of marriage, known as levirate marriage, is practised by some societies with a strong clan structure, where marriage outside the clan is forbidden. However, it is not a requirement of Islamic law.

In Islam, certain relationships are prohibited, including close blood relatives such as a mother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, and so on. A man is also forbidden from marrying his wife's mother, daughter, granddaughter, or sister.

A Muslim widow can marry her brother-in-law if he is not her mahram

In Islam, a widow is free to marry anyone she wants or even remain unmarried after the death of her husband. There is no restriction upon her, except for observing the mourning period.

Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow. This type of marriage has been practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which marriage outside the clan is forbidden. The term levirate is derived from the Latin "lēvir", meaning "husband's brother". It is practiced among the Goula in the northern part of the Central African Republic, the Mambila of northern Cameroon, the Maragoli of western Kenya, the Luo, the Nandi, the Shona in Zimbabwe, the Yoruba, the Igbo, and the Hausa-Fulani. In some parts of Nigeria, it is common for a woman to marry her late husband's brother if she had children with her late husband. This enables the children to retain the father's family identity and inheritance.

In Islam, a person is neither forbidden from marrying the widow of his brother nor is he obligated to marry her, regardless of the presence of children. This is because Islam does not allow for inheriting women by compulsion. The only people a person is forbidden to marry are their mahrams, which include the mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, great-niece, aunts, and great-aunts. A wife is also prohibited from being alone with her brother-in-law, as this may lead to disaster if a sin is committed or may spell divorce if her husband cannot contain his jealousy.

Therefore, a Muslim widow can marry her brother-in-law if he is not her mahram.

A man may marry his brother's widow, but only after her 'Iddah (waiting period) lapses

In Islam, a man is neither forbidden from marrying the widow of his brother nor is he obligated to marry her. It is permissible for a man to marry his brother's widow if he wishes to, and he is neither encouraged nor discouraged to do so. The Quran states that a widow is free to marry anyone or even remain unmarried after the death of her husband. The only restriction upon her is observing the mourning period.

The wife of one's brother is not unmarriageable to him forever. As soon as the marriage between her and her husband ends through divorce or death and her Iddah (waiting period) lapses, it becomes permissible for the brother of her former husband to marry her. This is because the man is not a mahram of this woman. Islam ended the priority right of the husband's family members to marry (or inherit) her after his death, which was common in pre-Islamic culture.

Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow. This type of marriage has been practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which exogamous marriage (marriage outside the clan) is forbidden. The term levirate is derived from the Latin lēvir, meaning "husband's brother." While levirate marriage is not based on Islamic law, it is still practiced among some communities that follow Islam, such as the Goula in the northern part of the Central African Republic, the Mambila of northern Cameroon, the Maragoli of western Kenya, and the Shona people of Zimbabwe.

Levirate marriage is a type of marriage where the brother of a deceased man must marry his brother's widow

In the context of Islam, a Muslim widow is not forbidden from marrying her brother-in-law, but neither is it obligatory. In other words, it is permissible for a widow to marry her late husband's brother if she so wishes.

The practice of a brother marrying his brother's widow is known as levirate marriage. The term levirate is derived from the Latin "lēvir", meaning "husband's brother". Levirate marriage has been practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which exogamous marriage (marriage outside the clan) is forbidden. It is commonly practiced among the Goula in the northern part of the Central African Republic, the Mambila of northern Cameroon, the Maragoli of western Kenya, and the Shona people of Zimbabwe. In the past, it was also practiced by the Huns, the Hungarians, and the Japanese.

In ancient societies, levirate marriage served to protect widows and their children, ensuring that they had a male provider and protector. It was also a way to continue the family line and preserve the identity of the deceased's family. In some societies, it was believed that the first son produced in the union between the widow and her brother-in-law was considered the legal descendant of her dead husband. This is reflected in the Bible, where levirate marriage is mentioned several times, including in the stories of Tamar and Onan, Ruth and Boaz, and Judah and Tamar.

However, levirate marriage has fallen out of favor in modern times, especially in Jewish communities, where it is now considered extinct. In some cases, it has been replaced by halitzah, a ceremony in which the widow and her brother-in-law symbolically renounce the marriage.

In Islam, a widow can marry her cousin but only with the permission of her first husband

In Islam, a widow is free to marry anyone or even remain unmarried after the death of her husband. There is no restriction upon her, except for observing the mourning period. The Quran forbids the ancient Arabian custom of a man inheriting his brother's widow.

A man is neither forbidden from marrying the widow of his brother nor is he obligated to do so, regardless of the presence of children. It is permissible for a man to marry his brother's widow if she and her husband are divorced or her husband has passed away, and her waiting period has lapsed.

Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow. This type of marriage is common among societies with a strong clan structure in which marriage outside the clan is forbidden. It is meant to serve as protection for the widow and her children, ensuring that they have a male provider and protector. It also ensures that the children retain their father's family identity and inheritance. While levirate marriage is not based on Islamic law, it is still practised in some parts of Nigeria, Kenya, and India.

In Islam, cousins are not included in the maharim, or the list of relatives forbidden for marriage. Therefore, a widow can marry her cousin. However, it is preferable for a Muslim to marry someone they are not related to in order to widen their social circle.

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