Question

I am asking on behalf of a friend.

My friend’s husband had a sexual relationship with her sister for a few weeks. Is she out of the nikah? Also, now she does not want to stay married to him

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In this situation that you have described, i.e., if a married man has illicit sexual relations with his wife’s sister, then even though this is a major sin, completely forbidden, adultery and infidelity, it will not break the nikāh between the husband and wife nor invalidate their marriage. They will still be considered husband and wife.[1]

Regarding the severity of the sin of adultery, there are numerous verses of the Quran and Hadiths of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Allah Ta’ala admonishes us:

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا

“Do not go near any adultery and fornication; surely it is shameful, indecent, and evil (leading to individual and social corruption).” (Sura Isra: 32)

 وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا  إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

…and [the believers] do not fornicate; anyone who does that will receive an evil punishment, their torment will be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and they will remain in torment, disgraced, Except he who gives up his way in repentance and believes (without associating partners with Allah), and does good, righteous deeds – such are those whose (past) evil deeds Allah will efface and record virtuous deeds in their place, and Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate. (Sura Furqan: 67-71)

The way forward for the perpetrator of this sin is to sincerely turn to Allah in tawbah (repentance), leave his evil ways, and appreciate the bounty of a pure and lawful spouse that Allah has blessed him with.

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَىٰ

Surely, I am All-Forgiving to whoever repents and believes and does righteous deeds, and thereafter keeps himself on the right path. (Sura Taha: 82)

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud ^rd said that I asked the Prophet ﷺ, “What is the greatest sin in the Sight of Allah?” He said, “That you ascribe partners unto Allah though He Alone created you.” I said, “That is indeed a great sin.” Then asked, “What next?” He said, “To kill your child lest he should share your food with you.” I asked, “What is next?” He said, “To commit adultery with the wife of your neighbor.” (Bukhari)[2]

This hadith shows the severity of committing adultery with the wife of one’s neighbor which is considered a major sin due to living in close vicinity. The neighbor deserves more sanctity and respect than anyone else because of their closeness and rights upon one. What then can be said about someone as close as one’s sister-in-law, who is worthy of respect and sanctity?

‏The way to keep himself on the right path is for him to completely cut himself off from his sister-in-law and observe shar’i hijab [avoiding any close interaction with ghayr-mahram females].

He should also strictly avoid all of those avenues of social media, pornography, and other things that may arouse his sexual temptations.

In summary, all of those things that may make him fall into that mistake again, he should remove himself from that.

We also recommend that the wife tries her best to reconcile and find within herself the means to forgive him for his grave mistake. We understand that this is extremely difficult, but it is rewarding by Allah to try and make it work, as He has advised,

وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ

And reconciliation is better… (Sura Nisa:128)

If this is not possible, then we suggest that she refers to her local muftis and scholars to seek either shar’ī resolution for this matter through khul’a or whatever other rulings they may suggest.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Maulana Tameem Ahmadi
Union City, CA.
U.S.A

Checked and Approved by:

Muftī Faisal bin Abdul Hamīd al-Mahmūdī
Darul Iftaa Canada, Edmonton

www.fatwa.ca

[1] رد المحتار على الدر المختار: كتاب الحظر و الاباحة، فصل في البيع: 9/524   
 (قَوْلُهُ لَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الزَّوْجِ تَطْلِيقُ الْفَاجِرَةِ) وَلَا عَلَيْهَا تَسْرِيحُ الْفَاجِرِ إلَّا إذَا خَافَا أَنْ لَا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّهِ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَتَفَرَّقَا اهـ مُجْتَبًى وَالْفُجُورُ يَعُمُّ الزِّنَا وَغَيْرَهُ وَقَدْ «قَالَ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – لِمَنْ زَوْجَتُهُ لَا تَرُدُّ يَدَ لَامِسٍ وَقَدْ قَالَ إنِّي أُحِبُّهَا: اسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا» اه

[2] صحيح البخاري ، دار طوق النجاة ج 6 ص 18 رقم الحدیث 4477#
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ الذَّنْبِ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ لِلَّهِ نِدًّا وَهْوَ خَلَقَكَ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَعَظِيمٌ، قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىُّ قَالَ ‏”‏ وَأَنْ تَقْتُلَ وَلَدَكَ تَخَافُ أَنْ يَطْعَمَ مَعَكَ ‏“‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىُّ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَنْ تُزَانِيَ حَلِيلَةَ جَارِكَ ‏”‏‏.