The Muhammadan quack “Dr.” Zakir Naik has been caught lying about his prophet discouraging marital relationships with close relatives, i.e., cousins. He has been exposed for citing an inauthentic narration, one deemed to be unreliable, which has Muhammad prohibiting the marriage of first cousins generation after generation.
In order to expose his lie I post this response from a reputable online Muslim site: Ahaadeeth prohibiting marriage among relatives inauthentic. All emphasis mine.
Question
Assalaamu alaykum, dear Shaykh. I sent you a question (no. 2634677) earlier. Shaykh, I know that marriage between cousins is permitted and that those hadiths discouraging marriage between relatives are inauthentic. Shaykh, I saw a YouTube video of Dr. Zakir Naik regarding consanguineous marriage wherein he quoted Dr. Ahmad Sakr as saying, “Our beloved Prophet said, ‘Do not marry generation after generation among first cousins.’” Shaykh, I want to know whether that hadith is authentic or not. Thank you very much.
Answer
… We have not come across any scholar who mentioned the hadeeth that you asked about in your question. However, some scholars stated that the ahaadeeth that are mentioned about the prohibition of marrying among relatives are not authentic.
For instance, the prominent scholar Ibn Al-Mulaqqin said in Al-Badr Al-Muneer, “It was reported that the Prophet said, ‘Do not marry a close relative because the offspring will be weak.’ Al-Qaadhi Al-Husayn and the Imaam al-Haramayn (Al-Juwayni) reported it also and said, “It is inauthentic.”
As regards Ibn As-Salah, he said, “I did not find a reliable source for this hadeeth. He also commented on it saying, ‘The offspring will be weak’; that is because his lust cannot be completely fulfilled with a female relative.”
Al-Qaadhi Al-Husayn mentioned another hadeeth with the same meaning, which is, ‘Marry strangers, (do not marry relatives), otherwise the offspring will be weak.’
I have not seen any reliable narration in this regard in any Hadeeth book, except what I read in Ghareeb Al-Hadeeth complied by Ibraaheem al-Harbi from ‘Abdullaah ibn Al-Mu’ammil from Ibn Abi Mulaykah that ‘Umar said to the tribe of As-Saa’ib, ‘Your offspring has become weak; so marry strangers.’” [End of quote]
For more benefit, please refer to fataawa 92604 and 107116.
Allaah knows best.
The following is from SeekersGuidance. All emphasis mine.
Did the Prophet Discourage Marrying Cousins?
[October 7, 2011]/in Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan
Question: Did the Prophet discourage marrying relatives (ie. cousins) even though it is lawful?
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.
The short answer is that there are certain narrations that discourage marrying cousins, yet experts of hadith verification have determined them to be extremely weak or fabricated.
The Narrations in Question
– “Do not marry within the family [i.e., cousins], as that leads to children that are thin and weak.”
– “Do not marry within the family [i.e., cousins], since the child would be born thin and weak.”
– “Marry outside the family, lest the offspring be thin and weak.” [Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-Habir]
Regarding these and similar narrations, the 7th century hadith specialist Ibn Salah said, “I found no reliable basis for them.” Many eminent hadith masters mentioned his statement and concurred, such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Ibn Mulaqqin, and others. [Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-Habir; Ibn Mulaqqin, Khulasat al-Badr]
Taj al-Subki said regarding these narrations, “I found no chain of transmission (isnad) for them.” [Subki, Ahadith al-Ihya Alati La Asla Laha]
Hence it can be concluded that these narrations — as statements of the Prophet — are fabricated.
After mentioning Ibn Salah’s verdict, Hafiz Iraqi does state that it was rather Sayyidina Umar who made such a statement, specifically in response to a certain family/tribe whose offspring were thin and weak. He said, “You all have become thin and weak, so marry outside the family.” [Iraqi, Takhrij Ahadith al-Ihya’]
Incidentally, this advice from Sayyidina Umar corresponds with current genetic research indicating that marriage to cousins in successive generations is associated with increased likelihood of disability in offspring.
Also, the Hanbalis in particular explicitly mention that it is recommended (mustahabb) for a man to marry outside the family, as doing so normally leads to healthier and stronger offspring. [Mawsu`a Kuwaitiyya]
The Legal Ruling
As a legal ruling however, marrying one’s cousin is completely lawful in Islam, based on the Qur’an, Noble Sunna, and scholarly consensus (ijma`).
The categories of women one is forbidden to marry are clearly delineated in the Qur’an (see 4:22-24), and one’s cousin is not listed there.
Moreover, it is well-known that the Prophet married off his daughter Fatima to Sayyidina Ali, who was the Prophet’s cousin.
And the Prophet himself married his first cousin, Zaynab bint Jahsh, as she was the daughter of the Prophet’s paternal aunt Umaymah.
Of course, the permissibility does not necessarily mean that such marriages are encouraged in the Sacred Law, especially when repeated over generations. As mentioned above, there are often health concerns if first cousin marriages continue over several generations. A physician should be consulted in particular cases.
This answer sheds more light on the issue: The Ruling of First Cousin Marriages – A Balanced Perspective
And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani
FURTHER READING
HOMOSEXUALITY AND PEDERASTY IN ISLAM’S PARADISE?
The Quran’s Confused Stance on Sexual Ethics
REVISITING ISLAM’S GROSS SEXUAL ETHICS
Answering Islam Blog 