mahram

A mahram is a person whom a Muslim woman may not marry, by virtue of kinship, breastfeeding (rida’a), or marriage ties. The concept appears in Islamic law to establish who is permanently forbidden as a marriage partner and to guide social conduct, privacy, and travel. In practice, whether someone is a mahram can affect rules about hijab, guardianship, and whom a woman may travel with without formal permission.

The pool of mahrams includes male relatives connected by blood or nursing, such as fathers, grandfathers, sons, brothers, and uncles, as well as nephews in many traditions. Some schools also recognize mahrams through nursing relationships or through marriage ties in ways that vary by legal interpretation. Because the exact list of mahrams differs among Islamic legal schools and cultures, the precise relatives considered mahram are not universal.

In daily life, identifying a mahram helps determine appropriate behavior and arrangements for privacy, modest dress, and travel. For example, a mahram is typically considered an acceptable companion for travels where rules of gender separation or guardianship might otherwise apply. In the context of marriage, the concept relates to who may or may not be eligible to marry the woman, and it interacts with the role of a wali (guardian) in certain traditions.

Across Sunni and Shia traditions, the specifics of who counts as a mahram can differ. While the general idea remains consistent—that certain male relatives are permanently forbidden marriage partners—the exact relationships recognized as mahram are defined variably in different legal schools and cultural contexts.