I am writing this because I was very curious about something. Everyone I asked so far said that there are certain health risks to marrying you 1st cousin. Is that true?
A follow-up question to the people who answer yes would be, if it could be dangerous to you, or your future child’s health, why is it permissible in Islam?

Please know that I am asking this to make me a stronger Muslim and not because I am doubting Islam's rules. I am always sure that I will find a satisfying answer if I ask enough questions. Any feedback will be appreciated.
Thank you.

I'd just like to make the general clarification that marrying first cousins is not illegal or incestuous. The main reason there is a stigma attached to such unions is because there is a greater chance of genetic disorders within the family passing onto the offspring.

However, the same danger is present in other marriages - you just have the combined dangers of two different families

Salam Alaikum

Marrying the 1st cousin is not harmful as long as the marriage is not carried out in a closed family system where such marriages have been carried over many generations.

Basically Take this example: (My family)

- My Grandfather (from moms side) was NOT married to any cousins in the family but externally

- My Grandfather (from dads side) was NOT married to any cousins in the family but externally

- My Father did not marry any cousins but married externally

- My Brother was married to my cousin

This will not cause any problems at all since there is enough healthy blood in the gene pool. Alhamdolillah they also have 2 healthy daughters.


The Unhealthy senario would have been:

- My Grandfather (from moms side) was married to cousin

- My Grandfather (from dads side) was married to cousin

(both grandfathers were also relatives and cousins)

- My Father was married to cousin

- My Brother was married to cousin

This is what a "closed family" system is which is part of cultural practices in many countries.

this is the Unhealthy system since over generations the Gene pool starts getting exhausted and thus deformaties start to occur.

Please do note that such family systems are usually also highly racists and biased against other "races" and "people" (as is the case in Pakistan)

But Alhamdolilah Islam encourages marriage anywhere as long as the other person is Muslim

I hope that sheds some light into the matter?

Here's a good discussion we had on it in a diffrent thread:

http://www.islamicboard.com/marriage...-marriage.html

bro akulion, you make a really good point with that, i never thought of it that way.

Thanks akulion. That is the exaplanation I was looking for. I knew there had to be a good one. Makes sense now.

Ur welcome bro and sis

I forgot to mention 1 thing which is that it is sufficient to have a single "external" marriage to refresh the gene pool and put off the deformation scenario for another few generations.

The deformaties only occur when new blood is never introduced in successsive generations at all.

akulion gave the answer very well.
and remember life itself is full of risks. wach and every step u take u wil hav to face problems. no matter who u marry or where this person if from.

we are sent here to this world for such things
for exams we hav to face and try to solve all the problems
allah examine our patience. so try to pass in all the exams
wish u all the best
may almighty allah bless u

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FROM: Pam Sowers
(206) 543-3620
sowerspl@u.washington.edu
DATE: April 3, 2002


First cousins face lower risk of having children with genetic conditions than is widely perceived

Cousins contemplating marriage or concerned about a pregnancy arising from their union have often found it difficult to get accurate information about risks to their offspring.

In a paper published in the April issue of the Journal of Genetic Counseling, a task force made up of genetic counselors, physicians and epidemiologists, among others, has evaluated the evidence about risks for offspring for first cousins and provides guidelines for counseling and advising such couples.

The task force was brought together by the National Society of Genetic Counselors. It considered recommendations for various unions of consanguineous (literally, blood-sharing) couples related as second cousins or more closely.

The consensus of the task force and those who reviewed the recommendations "is that beyond a thorough medical family history with follow-up of significant findings, no additional preconception screening is recommended for consanguineous couples." They should, of course, be offered genetic screening tests that would routinely be offered to other couples of their ethnic group.

In part because of social stigma and because marriage between first cousins is prohibited in 30 states and laws on other consanguineous relationships vary, the authors note that many such unions are kept secret.

"Because of widespread misconceptions about the actual level of risk to offspring, some of these pregnancies are terminated and other couples suffer a lot of needless anxiety," said Robin Bennett, lead author of the paper and president-elect of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Bennett is a certified genetic counselor at University of Washington Medical Center and manages the Genetic Medicine Clinic there.

The paper's senior author is Dr. Arno Motulsky, professor emeritus of medicine and genome sciences at the UW and a pioneer in medical genetics studies.

Relatively few studies have documented actual risks to the offspring of consanguineous unions, the authors note, and many of the studies that have been done are flawed in terms of their relevance for the general population. The task force reviewed all studies published in English in the medical literature, and some additional materials.

What the authors were looking for is the additional risk of significant birth defects (mental retardation or genetic disorders) -- or risk that is more than that faced by the general population of couples. For example, for couples, if the base (general population) risk of genetic conditions is 5 percent, it's the additional risk that is important for consanguineous couples to know.

Although they emphasize that it's not possible to come up with one number for all populations of consanguineous couples, the authors estimate the additional risk to range from 1.7 to 2.8 percent for first cousin unions. From her experience in counseling, Bennett believes these numbers are far lower than most people's perception of the risk.

One reason these issues and questions have come to the fore now is that health care practitioners are seeing more cousin unions in the immigrant population coming to North America from Africa and the Middle East. In some of these societies, the authors note, cousin marriages are actually traditionally preferred and quite common. Better information and appropriate guidelines are especially needed by physicians and genetic counselors who work with these groups so that more objective and culturally respectful services can be provided.

The paper also includes guidelines for screening for the recessive genes that can produce offspring with disorders of metabolism or hearing disorders, among others. In many cases, these disorders can be treated if found early in life. In the same vein, the importance of routine, regular early childhood pediatric care, as set out in American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, is emphasized for children of cousin unions.

And what about the laws preventing cousins from marrying? The authors note such laws may eventually change as a result of evidence about actual risks.

salaams ppl

well my mum and dad are first cuosins and i turnt out ok .......*i think*

wassalaam

Thats good mashallah. But try not to marry your first cousin.

Salaam

What I can't get my head around is how can one get romantic with a person they've considerd family.

well it depends if you grew up with them or not.

from my dads side, i barely know most of my cousins. I'd say my best friend is ALOT closer to me than my cousins from my popa's family.

Here in north america (and europe), we are raised to consider 1st cousin marriages as a form of incest, especially if "we consider them family". But when we look at most parts of the middle east, those people grow up with their cousins, make friends with their cousins, consider them family, and still marry their cousins without a problem.

Guess its an individual/cultural thing.

I'm not Muslim but I will answer anyway.

Some diseases have to be inheriting of both parents to be active. From one parent it would not be noticed. It is only if both chromosomes in the chromosomes pair have this recessive rudiment it will have effect on babies. But you can pass on a recessive rudiment to your babies. Many diseases are recessive. Often it is just a gene that due to mutation becoming non beneficial and because of that not longer can be used for a guide to create the protein the gene is coding for. If the parents have many genes in common the risk will be higher that any of them is not benficial.

But in many societies, included mine, it is nowadays allowed to get married with your cousin because it is quite unusual that it exist these kinds of closed societies. But if you have a rare disease running in family you might give it a thought. The royal families in Europe were very closed at a time. The consequence was that haemophilia was nearly wiping out all male sons of royalties in Europe due to a recessive gene that was causing this disease.

I hope you find a way with the help of God.

Are there health risks to marrying your 1st cousin?

Well to your Grandfather there can be. If he has a weak ticker and sees his grandchildren as a 'couple' for the first time.