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What is the ruling on marrying someone who committed zina with her maternal aunt? Does a woman who committed zina have an 'idda (waiting period)? Is it permissible to marry her before her 'idda ends?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Fornication is one of the gravest sins after polytheism and murder, and its perpetrator must repent. The Shafi'is and Malikis (according to the relied-upon opinion) hold that if a man commits fornication with a woman, her niece is not forbidden to him. There is no waiting period (iddah) for the fornicating woman according to the Shafi'is and Hanafis, while the Malikis and Hanbalis believe she must observe a waiting period of three menstrual cycles. Some say it is one menstrual cycle, and this view was favored by Ibn Taymiyyah. It is permissible for a man who has committed fornication with a woman to marry her niece, and the aunt's waiting period does not prevent this.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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