Is it permissible for the brother of a woman divorced by her mother, or her seven-year-old son, to be a mahram for her in marriage?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The maternal brother is a (a non-marriageable relative), but he is not a wali (guardian) for marriage according to the majority of scholars. The guardians for a woman, in order, are: her father, then her paternal grandfather, then her son, then her full-brother, then her half-brother (from the father's side), then their sons, then the paternal uncles. There is no guardianship for relatives who are not asabat (agnates), such as the maternal brother. A minor child's guardianship is not valid. If a woman has no guardian to marry her off, then the one who marries her off is the ruler or his representative.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/162849
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 162849
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Read the full answer on Ftawy