Maternal And Paternal Uncles
In Surah An-Nur, verse 31, Allah mentions the mahram relatives before whom a woman may reveal her adornment. The verse explicitly names the father, father-in-law, sons, stepsons, brothers, nephews (brothers’ sons), and nephews (sisters’ sons). However, paternal and maternal uncles are not mentioned separately. Because of this, some people ask that if marriage to paternal and maternal uncles is permanently forbidden, why are they not explicitly listed. The majority of exegetes state that paternal and maternal uncles are implicitly included in this list. The reasoning is that the verse mentions nephews, meaning the sons of brothers and sisters. If a woman’s nephews are mahram to her and she may reveal her adornment before them, then their fathers, who are her brothers, are even more strongly mahram. Similarly, when the father is mentioned, the father’s brother, meaning the paternal uncle, falls within the same category of permanent prohibition, because in Islamic law the paternal uncle is regarded as being in the position of the father. There is also a hadith stating that the paternal uncle holds the status of the father. The same reasoning applies to the maternal uncle, as he is also a close relative within the circle of permanent prohibition. The juristic principle is that wherever the prohibition of marriage is permanent and absolute, mahram status is established. Since other Qur’anic verses clearly state that marriage to paternal and maternal uncles is permanently forbidden, they are included among the mahram relatives, even if Surah An-Nur does not mention them separately. According to scholars, their inclusion is understood through the combined reading of the texts and established legal principles, rather than through weak analogy.