Marrying the Sister of a Paralysed Wife

Question

Zayd’s wife has for a long time been ill with paralysis; she cannot do any housework, and this has made things extremely difficult for Zayd. In this difficult time Zayd’s sister-in-law (his wife’s sister) kept the household running, and then a misfortune occurred: an unlawful relationship arose with this sister-in-law; now this sister-in-law lives in Zayd’s house. At this point he is thinking of divorcing (talaq) his first wife, but she is unwilling to be divorced and consents to his marrying her sister.

Answer

As long as one sister is in one’s nikah, nikah with the other sister is categorically haram; indeed, even if she is divorced, nikah with her sister is not permissible until the ‘idda has passed. Allah Most High said: [ar]وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُخْتَيْنِ الآية[/ar] “…and that you combine two sisters” (Surah al-Nisa’, 4:23).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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