Being married to a woman and the daughter of her former husband at the same time

Q: Is it permissible for a man to marry a widow and the daughter of her deceased husband from his first wife that he had divorced before he married the concerned widow? It is worth mentioning that the daughter and the widow mentioned above are not relatives nor do they have a milk relationship.

A: Yes, it is permissible for a man to marry a widow (Part No. 18; Page No. 356) and the daughter of her deceased husband at the same time. The foregoing is the opinion of the majority of scholars and it is the most proper one. This is because permissibility is the original ruling and there is no proof from the Qur'an or the Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) that forbids marrying a widow and the daughter of her deceased husband at the same time. Rather, Allah mentions the categories of women which are forbidden for a person to marry and does not include the case in question among them. Consequently, marrying a widow and the daughter of her deceased husband simultaneously fall under the generality of Allah's saying, All others are lawful Moreover, combining between specific categories of wives is made Haram (prohibited) because it leads to severing the ties of kinship amongst people who have family relationships while there is neither kinship nor milk relations between the mentioned widow and the daughter of her deceased husband. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.