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Need info on this question:

Did any of the Rashidun Caliphs (or their descendants or the sahaba) marry their direct cousin (daughter of maternal/paternal uncle or aunts)? If yes, then please inform the complete name of the wife and husband that did so that I can check it in their family tree. Since there are some who say quote "cousin marriage has been a normal practice since the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)". But who really did that at the time closest to Muhammad? As far as I know, only Muhammad (SAW) did it.

Note: Ali and Fatima (Peace be upon them) weren't cousins. I'm asking about cousin marriages only.

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  • You don't need the Sahaba to know cousin marriage has been and is very common. People did it everywhere including Europe. Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin married their first cousins.
    – The Z
    Mar 8, 2018 at 20:35
  • No, you don't understand. I need this information.
    – Rextia
    Mar 8, 2018 at 22:52
  • Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin as far as I know ain't muslims. I'm searching for muslim examples closest to the time of the prophet Muhammad PBUH. If possible one the Rashidun Caliphs or Sahaba or their descendants who had married their first cousin.
    – Rextia
    Mar 9, 2018 at 0:14
  • You got your example. Umar (RA). What else do you want? Noone is saying it was extremely common. It was just not looked down upon like it is in the West today. In fact around 20% of all marriages are between first cousins even today in the world.
    – The Z
    Mar 10, 2018 at 1:00

2 Answers 2

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Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the second Caliph, married Atiqa bint Zayd.

وفيها تزوج عمر بن الخطاب عاتكة بنت زيد بن عمرو بن نفيل، وهي ابنة عمه

Umar ibn Al-Khattab married Atiqa bint Zayd bin Amr bin Nufayl, who was the daughter of his uncle

— The Beginning and the End by Ibn Kathir, events of 12th year of Migration

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  • Well then, with only 3 known persons (by name), can they still make such a conclusion that it was common practice back then? I think that's still an oversimplification.
    – Rextia
    Mar 9, 2018 at 4:38
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    @Rextia This might depend on what they intend by "common\normal practice". If the intended meaning is that every next person was married to their cousin then its wrong; if the intended meaning is that cousin marriage was not a social taboo as it is in the modern west, then it is accurate.
    – UmH
    Mar 9, 2018 at 16:00
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This is not going to be an easy task as not too many companions married their cousins. One companion that I know of is 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab who was married to his maternal cousin, Zainab bint 'Uthman ibn Madh'ūn.

His mother was Zaynab bint Madh'ūn. Her brother, 'Uthman ibn Madh'ūn had a daughter named Zainab from his wife, Khawlah bint Hakim ibn Umayya. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar married his cousin, Zainab bint 'Uthman ibn Madh'ūn.

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَ بِنْتَ خَالِهِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَظْعُونٍ قَالَ: فَذَهَبَتْ أُمُّهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ: إِنَّ ابْنَتِي تَكْرَهُ ذَلِكَ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُفَارِقَهَا فَفَارَقَهَا وَقَالَ: لَا تَنْكِحُوا الْيَتَامَى حَتَّى تَسْتَأْمِرُوهُنَّ فَإِذَا سَكَتَتْ فَهُوَ إِذْنُهَا

— NOTE: My own translation, so treat with care:

Narrated by Ibn 'Umar that her married the daughter of his maternal uncle, 'Uthmān ibn Madh'ūn, and he said: "Then her mother went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: 'My daughter hates this matter.'" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered him [Ibn 'Umar] to divorce her and said: "Do not marry the orphaned girls until you get their consent, and if she stays quiet, this is her consent."

— Sunnan ad-Dāraqutni, Book of Nikah, Hadith 3545

This, by no means, is an indication that he was the only companion to marry his cousin.

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  • How can historians came to the conclusion that marrying cousins was common practice back then at the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW when people only know 2 persons who did that? The prophet Muhammad SAW and the companion in your answer
    – Rextia
    Mar 9, 2018 at 4:26
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    @Rextia people know of more than 2 persons, you've asked about 4! So for this 4 people there's 50% ratio of cousin-marriages!
    – Medi1Saif ♦
    Mar 9, 2018 at 6:58
  • Which one exactly? Are you talking first cousins or just somewhat near cousins?
    – Rextia
    Mar 9, 2018 at 11:47
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    @Rextia — No idea how historians reached the conclusion that marriage of cousins was common at the time or place. The burden of proof is on the one making the claim. Having said that, as I said, it is going to be very hard to dig into the lineage of every husband and wife at the time of the Prophet ﷺ to find out who was married to whose cousin. The answers you will get will mostly rely on one having pre-knowledge of such marriage(s).
    – III-AK-III
    Mar 9, 2018 at 12:55
  • @Rextia It is very unlikely that historians derive that information from only ahadith, other methods are involved. This would be off-topic here, you might ask in History SE
    – Kilise
    Mar 9, 2018 at 18:57

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