A man asks: Is a stepmother’s mother considered among the the prohibited women whom I am forbidden to marry? Is it permissible for me to look at her and be alone with her when no one else is present?

A stepmother’s mother is not among the women to whom marriage is impermissible. There is no objection to engaging with her, provided the interaction is free from desire and temptation. It is forbidden for the inquirer to be alone with his stepmother’s mother in a secluded place, as the ruling regarding her is the same as that for other unmarriageable kin.

Types of mahram relationships between men and women

It is established in Islamic law that the mahram relationship between a man and a woman, i.e., a relationship that prohibits marriage between them, may be either temporary or permanent. Permanent mahram relationships are due to blood relationships, milk relationships, and marital ties. See: Al-Mabsut by Al-Sarkhasy (4:111) and Al-Bahr Al-Ra`iq by Zein al-Deen Ibn Nujaim (2:339).

 

Is the stepmother’s mother considered among the women prohibited in marriage?

The Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delineate the categories of mahrams among the men and the women prohibited in marriage. Notably, the mother of a stepmother is not included in this enumeration. However, after listing the degrees of women prohibited in marriage, Allah Almighty says, “Except for these, all others are lawful” (Quran, 4:24). The general wording of the verse indicates the permissibility of marriage to all the categories of women not explicitly mentioned in the verse, whether individually or collectively, due to the absence of a mahram relationship between them. See: Tafsir al-Imam Abu Saud (2:164).

The majority of jurists from the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools of jurisprudence have unanimously agreed that a mahram relationship does not exist between a man and his stepmother’s mother, i.e., his father’s marriage to her daughter does not render her prohibited for him in marriage. Based on this, the different rulings regarding one’s stepmother’s mother is the same as that regarding all other women to whom marriage is permissible. It is therefore permissible for a man to marry his stepmother’s mother, provided there is no legal impediment to prevent the marriage. It is likewise permissible for him to look at her without desire — within the limits of what is permissible — when interacting and engaging with her. However, scholars are unanimous on the prohibition of a man being alone with his stepmother’s mother in a place where they cannot be seen or where others cannot enter in on them, as stated in Fath Al-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (4:77). This is premised on the hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A man should not be alone with a woman except in the presence of a mahram” (Bukhari and Muslim).

And Allah Almighty knows best