Marrying Cousins

Question

As-salam alaikum
Why does Islam allow cousin marriage if it is exclusively for our Dearest Prophet and not for followers as mentioned in Quran 33:50? I do not understand why in the Ayat after the mention of cousins it is said “it is exclusively for you not for followers”.

Answer

Wa Alaykum Al-Salam

The answer with the help of Allah the All Powerful:
In this particular part of the verse from Surah Al-Ahzaab (Verse: 50), Allah the Almighty has informed His beloved Messenger ﷺ that that he ﷺ may marry a woman without a dowry whether she is from his cousins or not. As for the believers, it is necessary upon them to give their women a dowry whether it is prefixed or not and whether it is mentioned at the time of nikah or not.

It says in Khazaa’in Al-Irfaan under this particular part of this verse,

“This means that nikah without dowry is specifically permissible for you and not for the Ummah. Dowry is wajib upon the (men of the) Ummah even if the dowry was not prefixed and even if the man denies the dowry.”

This can clearly be understood by reading the rest of the verse where Allah has mentioned that He has fixed (dowry) upon the believing men for their wives and that this specific rule of dowry not being necessary upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is to remove any hardship from him.

This can also be understood by carefully reading the former part of this verse where Allah has included ‘any believing woman’ with the mention of the cousins. If from this verse, someone ignorantly understood that marrying the cousins is specifically for the Prophet ﷺ then he must also understand that marrying any believing woman is also specifically for the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him. This would mean that Muslim men cannot marry any woman at all because marriage with non Muslims is already forbidden in other verses.

This is why it is important that one must not try to deduce rules from the Quran himself and must study the Quran under a teacher or with an authentic book of tafseer (commentary) that has been authored for the general public.

In Surah Al-Baqarah it says,

“He (Allah) misguides many by it (the Quran) and guides many by it.”

As for reciting the Quran, every individual should recite as much as they can whenever they can after learning the correct manner of recitation. I recommend that one should read Khazaa’in Al-Irfan with Kanz Al-Imaan and Allah knows all.

Faqeer Zahid Hussain Al-Qadiri
2nd Thu Al-Hijjah 1436 AH