Many studies show that the prevalence of consanguineous marriages among Muslim populations is more than in other populations, worldwide; it is approximately 52%, with an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.0312.
Inbreeding or consanguineous marriage is a common traditional practice in Middle Eastern cultures. Studies from various countries and communities of this region showed that the frequencies range from 20% to greater than 70%.
Consanguineous unions range from cousin-cousin to more distant relatedness, and their prevalence varies by culture. Prevalence is highest in Arab countries, followed by India, Japan, Brazil and Israel.
Marriage between cousins has been part of the culture in Saudi Arabia and other Arab societies for centuries, and it is still common place. Before the wedding, and ideally before getting engaged, young couples have more than honeymoon destination, wedding halls, and furniture for their love nest to think about.
Noticeably, many Arab countries display some of the highest rates of consanguineous marriages in the world ranging around 20-50% of all marriages, and specifically favoring first cousin marriages with average rates of about 20-30% (Table 1, Figure 1, Additional file 1).
Islamic tradition
In general, the Quran tells Muslim men not to marry Non-Muslim women, and it tells Muslim women not to marry Non-Muslim men, but it makes an allowance for Muslim men to marry women of the People of the Book (usually Jews, Christians, and Sabians).
There is no text in the Holy Qur'an or Sunnah that prohibits cousins from marrying relatives or differentiates between marrying close or distant relatives or strangers. You have the freedom to marry anyone you wish. It is not correct to say that marriage with relatives spreads, family diseases in children.
Answering a 2012 audience question, the popular Islamic preacher Zakir Naik noted that the Quran does not forbid cousin marriage but quotes Dr. Ahmed Sakr as saying that there is a hadith of Muhammad that says: "Do not marry generation after generation among first cousins".
The Middle East has uniquely high rates of cousin marriage among the world's regions. Certain Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, have rates of marriage to first or second cousins that may exceed 70%. Iraq was estimated in one study to have a rate of 33%.
In some South Asian, Middle Eastern, and north African countries, as many as half of marriages are consanguineous. 1 In Pakistan, half of the population marry a first or second cousin, more than in any other country.
Of the practicing regions, Middle Eastern and northern Africa territories show the greatest frequencies of consanguinity. Among these populations with high levels of inbreeding, researchers have found several disorders prevalent among inbred offspring.
The Whittaker family is an American inbred family from Egeria, West Virginia. They first gained public notoriety in 2020, when they appeared on the Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel as part of a series of video interviews conducted by American film producer Mark Laita. Egeria, West Virginia, U.S.
They created the “50/500” rule, which suggested that a minimum population size of 50 was necessary to combat inbreeding and a minimum of 500 individuals was needed to reduce genetic drift. Management agencies tended to use the 50/500 rule under the assumption that it was applicable to species generally.
Hindus had the highest in- breeding coefficients as compared to Muslims or Christians for both autosomal and sex-linked genes, but there were significant variations among the different castes.
There is a general consensus among Sunni and Shia fiqh experts that Surah Al-Baqarah 221 and Surat Al‑Mumtahanah 10 ban Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men. This consensus is still standing strong. On the other hand, the Quran allows Muslim men to marry non-Muslim women (“People of the Book”).
The countries are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Some people may be surprised that you can marry your first cousin! In fact, it may shock many people that in Australia there are quite a number of your relatives whom it is legal for you to marry. I expect that some people simply cannot imagine being married to any relative. But the law says it's ok to do so.
In the United States, second cousins are legally allowed to marry in every state. However, marriage between first cousins is legal in only about half of the American states. All in all, marrying your cousin or half-sibling will largely depend on the laws where you live and personal and/or cultural beliefs.
This is a common practice globally in many cultures and countries, but it is far more common in Pakistan than in any other country with a high percentage of 55-60% marrying their first cousins. Consanguine marriages are not only common within Pakistan, but also a practice amongst British Pakistani communities.
“Marriages between first cousins are allowed in Islam. ... It is the consensus of the jurists that this permission was not only for the Prophet, but it is also a ... Summary of answer. There is nothing wrong with marriage to cousins in Islam, as cousins are not included in the maharim.
Prohibited to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, brother's daughters, sister's daughters, your mothers that are those who suckled you, your sisters from suckling, mothers of your women, your step-daughters in your guardianship from your women you have entered ...
The answer is yes. Islam does not allow to marry father's sister, father's brother, mother's sister, mother's brother. But one can marry anybody who is the son /daughter of his /her parent's direct blood relation.
For Muslims, male circumcision is performed for religious reasons, mainly to follow the sunnah (practice) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Moreover, there are attempts to label it as a contributor to cleanliness / personal hygiene. These are done largely to grant the practice scientific legitimacy and a moral foundation.
This is a common practice globally in many cultures and countries. But, it is far more common in Pakistan than in any other country, with a high percentage marrying their first cousins. According to BMC Women's Health data, Pakistan has one of the highest rates of cousin marriages at 65%.
What are prohibited relationships under the law? You cannot marry your mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, great-niece, aunts, or great-aunts. You also cannot marry someone who is also related to you through such relatives. For example, you cannot marry your great granddaughter.