No, a brother and sister cannot marry in Islam.
Prohibited Marriages in Islam
Islamic law strictly prohibits marriage between certain blood relatives. These prohibitions are based on consanguinity, which means kinship or relationship by blood.
Consanguinity Prohibitions
The Quran and Hadith (Prophetic traditions) clearly outline who one cannot marry due to blood ties.
Based on the provided reference, the following relationships are prohibited for marriage due to consanguinity:
| Prohibited Relationship | Description |
|---|---|
| Mothers | This includes biological and foster mothers. |
| Daughters | This includes biological and foster daughters. |
| Sisters | This includes full sisters and half-sisters. |
| Paternal Aunts | Father's sisters. |
| Maternal Aunts | Mother's sisters. |
| Nieces (Sister's daughters) | Daughters of your sisters. |
| Nieces (Brother's daughters) | Daughters of your brothers. |
- Full and Half Relations: It's important to note that Islamic law does not differentiate between full and half relations in these prohibitions. Both are equally prohibited for marriage. Therefore, marrying a half-sister is also forbidden.
- Wisdom Behind the Prohibition: These prohibitions serve various purposes, including maintaining family ties, preventing incestuous relationships, and upholding societal norms of respect.
Why Brothers and Sisters Can't Marry
- Direct Blood Relation: The core reason for the prohibition of marriage between siblings is that they share direct blood relation through their parents.
- Clear Religious Injunction: The Quran and Sunnah (Prophet's teachings) explicitly forbid marriage between brothers and sisters, making it a clear and undisputed rule.
- Maintaining Family Honor: Marriage between siblings is universally considered incestuous and is prohibited to maintain family honor and social harmony.
Conclusion
In summary, the reference material clearly states that sisters are among the seven prohibited relations due to consanguinity. Therefore, the answer is unequivocally that a brother and sister cannot marry in Islam due to their direct blood relationship. This is a fundamental teaching within Islamic law.
