Marriage with Two Sisters at the Same Time: Free or Slave-girls

قَضَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فِي أُخْتَيْنِ نَكَحَ إِحْدَاهُمَا رَجُلٌ ثُمَّ طَلَّقَهَا وَ هِيَ حُبْلَى ثُمَّ خَطَبَ أُخْتَهَا فَجَمَعَهُمَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَضَعَ أُخْتُهَا الْمُطَلَّقَةُ وَلَدَهَا فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُفَارِقَ الْأَخِيرَةَ حَتَّى تَضَعَ أُخْتُهَا الْمُطَلَّقَةُ وَلَدَهَا ثُمَّ يَخْطُبُهَا وَ يُصْدِقُهَا صَدَاقاً مَرَّتَيْنِ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), issued a judgment about the case of two sisters, of whom one had married a man who divorced her, and she was pregnant, then proposed marriage to her sister and married her before her divorced sister gave birth, he (the Imam) commanded them to separate from the

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع رَجُلٌ نَكَحَ امْرَأَةً ثُمَّ أَتَى أَرْضاً فَنَكَحَ أُخْتَهَا وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْلَمُ قَالَ يُمْسِكُ أَيَّتَهُمَا شَاءَ وَ يُخَلِّي سَبِيلَ الْأُخْرَى‌[1].

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and then comes to a land where he marries her sister but he does not know. He (the Imam) said, ’He can keep whichever he wants and allow the other one to go.’”

فِي رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ أُخْتَيْنِ فِي عَقْدَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ قَالَ هُوَ بِالْخِيَارِ يُمْسِكُ أَيَّتَهُمَا شَاءَ وَ يُخَلِّي سَبِيلَ الْأُخْرَى وَ قَالَ فِي رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ جَارِيَةٌ فَوَطِئَهَا ثُمَّ اشْتَرَى أُمَّهَا أَوِ ابْنَتَهَا قَالَ لَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ [أَبَداً].

“About the case of a man who marries two sisters in one marriage, one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ’Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘He has the choice to keep whichever he wants and allow the other one to go.’ About the case of a man who had a slave-girl with whom he went to bed, then bought her mother

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ بِالْعِرَاقِ امْرَأَةً ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَى الشَّامِ فَتَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً أُخْرَى فَإِذَا هِيَ أُخْتُ امْرَأَةٍ الَّتِي بِالْعِرَاقِ قَالَ يُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ الَّتِي تَزَوَّجَهَا بِالشَّامِ وَ لَا يَقْرَبُ الْمَرْأَةَ حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّةُ الشَّامِيَّةِ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً ثُمَّ تَزَوَّجَ أُمَّهَا وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا أُمُّهَا قَالَ ق

“This is concerning my question before abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries in Iraq a woman; then goes to al-Sham (Syria) and marries another there who is the sister of the one in Iraq. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must separate from the one in al-Sham and must not go close to the woman until waiting perio

قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ رَجُلٍ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الرَّجُلُ يَتَزَوَّجُ الْمَرْأَةَ مُتْعَةً إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَيَنْقَضِي الْأَجَلُ بَيْنَهُمَا هَلْ لَهُ أَنْ يَنْكِحَ أُخْتَهَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا فَكَتَبَ لَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا.

“I read in the letter of a man to al-Rida’ (a.s.), that said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, if a man marries a woman in the manner of Mut‘ah for an appointed time which expires; if he can marry her sister before her sister completes her waiting period.’ He (the Imam) had written to him, ‘I

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اخْتَلَعَتْ مِنْهُ امْرَأَتُهُ أَ يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ أُخْتَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا فَقَالَ إِذَا بَرِئَتْ عِصْمَتُهَا[1] وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ رَجْعَةٌ فَقَدْ حَلَّ لَهُ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ أُخْتَهَا قَالَ وَ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عِنْدَهُ أُخْتَانِ مَمْلُوكَتَانِ فَوَطِئَ إِحْدَاهُمَا ثُمَّ وَطِئَ الْأُخْرَى قَالَ إِذَا وَطِئَ الْأُخْرَى فَقَدْ حَرُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْأُولَى حَتَّى تَم

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man whose wife divorces him in the manner of al-Khula‘ (payment for divorce); if it is permissible to propose marriage to her sister before her waiting period is complete. He (the Imam) said, ‘Since she has set herself free and there is

فَقَالَ إِذَا بَرِئَتْ عِصْمَتُهَا وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا رَجْعَةٌ فَلَهُ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ أُخْتَهَا قَالَ وَ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ أُخْتَانِ مَمْلُوكَتَانِ فَوَطِئَ إِحْدَاهُمَا ثُمَّ وَطِئَ الْأُخْرَى قَالَ إِذَا وَطِئَ الْأُخْرَى فَقَدْ حَرُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ الْأُخْرَى قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ بَاعَهَا أَ تَحِلُّ لَهُ الْأُولَى قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ يَبِيعُهَا لِحَاجَةٍ وَ لَا يَخْطُرُ عَلَى

About the case of a man who divorces his wife or she arranges for al-Khula (payment for divorce) or she becomes a stranger to him; if he can marry her sister. He (the Imam) said, ‘When she has freed herself from responsibility and he is not able to go back to her, it then is permissible for him to propose marriage to h

لَا يَتَزَوَّجُهَا حَتَّى يَخْلُوَ أَجَلُهَا.

“About the case of a man who divorces his wife and she is pregnant; if he can marry her sister before she gives birth, he (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘He must not marry her until her time is complete.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَةً أَ يَتَزَوَّجُ أُخْتَهَا قَالَ لَا حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مَلَكَ أُخْتَيْنِ أَ يَطَؤُهُمَا جَمِيعاً قَالَ يَطَأُ إِحْدَاهُمَا وَ إِذَا وَطِئَ الثَّانِيَةَ حَرُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْأُولَى الَّتِي وَطِئَ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ الثَّانِيَةُ أَوْ يُفَارِقَهَا وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَبِيعَ الثَّانِيَةَ مِنْ أَجْلِ الْأُولَى لِيَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهَا إِلَّا أَنْ ي

“This is concerning my question before abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who divorces a woman; if he can marry her sister. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so until her waiting period is complete.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I asked him (the Imam) about the case of a man who owns two sisters; if he c

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ جَارِيَةٌ فَعَتَقَتْ فَتَزَوَّجَتْ فَوَلَدَتْ أَ يَصْلُحُ لِمَوْلَاهَا الْأَوَّلِ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ ابْنَتَهَا قَالَ هِيَ عَلَيْهِ حَرَامٌ وَ هِيَ ابْنَتُهُ وَ الْحُرَّةُ وَ الْمَمْلُوكَةُ فِي هَذَا سَوَاءٌ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ- وَ رَبائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُمْ مِنْ نِسائِكُمُ‌[1]. - مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْن

10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has a slave-girl and sets her free. She then marries and gives birth;

سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ تَكُونُ لَهُ الْجَارِيَةُ وَ لَهَا ابْنَةٌ فَيَقَعُ عَلَيْهَا أَ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَقَعَ عَلَى ابْنَتِهَا فَقَالَ أَ يَنْكِحُ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ ابْنَتَهُ.

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the case of a man who had a slave-girl who had a daughter. He falls on her (for sexual intercourse); if he could fall on her daughter. He (the Imam) said, ‘Does a man of good deeds marry his own daughter?”’

لَا هِيَ مِثْلُ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ رَبائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُمْ‌.

“About the case of a man who has a slave-girl with whom he has gone to bed; if he can marry her daughter, he (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so because of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, “. . . those who grow in your care . . .” (4:23)’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَبَانَتْ مِنْهُ وَ لَهَا ابْنَةٌ مَمْلُوكَةٌ فَاشْتَرَاهَا أَ يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَطَأَهَا قَالَ لَا وَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ تَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ الْمَمْلُوكَةُ وَ ابْنَتُهَا فَيَطَأُ إِحْدَاهُمَا فَتَمُوتُ وَ تَبْقَى الْأُخْرَى أَ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَطَأَهَا قَالَ لَا.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who divorces his wife and they become strangers to each other. She has a daughter who is a slave and he buys her; if he can go to bed with her. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so.’ I asked him (the Imam) about the case of a man

قُلْتُ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ يَشْتَرِي الْأُخْتَيْنِ فَيَطَأُ إِحْدَاهُمَا ثُمَّ يَطَأُ الْأُخْرَى بِجَهَالَةٍ قَالَ إِذَا وَطِئَ الْأُخْرَى بِجَهَالَةٍ لَمْ تَحْرُمْ عَلَيْهِ الْأُولَى وَ إِنْ وَطِئَ الْأُخْرَى وَ هُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا تَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ حَرُمَتَا عَلَيْهِ جَمِيعاً.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys two sisters and goes to bed with one of them, then goes to bed with the other due to ignorance. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he has gone to bed with the other due to ignorance the first one does not become unlawful for him but if