Marrying Those Not Closely Related is Better

Question :

I was approached by one of my kin, but I have heard that marriage to those not closely related is better for the future of the children and other reasons. What is your opinion on this?

Answer:

This rule has been mentioned by some scholars. They pointed to what has been mentioned regarding the fact that heredity has an influence. There is no doubt that heredity does have an influence in the creation of man and his physical makeup. This is why, when a man came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah! My wife has given birth to a black boy." He was suggesting regarding this woman: "How can the boy be black, when both his parents are white." The Messenger of Allah said to him:
"Do you have any camels?"

He said: "Yes." The Prophet said:
"What are their colors?"

He said: "Red." The Prophet said:
"Are there any among them that are brown?"

He said: "Yes." The Prophet said:
"So from where did they get this"?

The man said: "Perhaps they inherited it." The Prophet said:
"(Likewise,) perhaps this son of yours inherited it."

This proves that heredity has an influence and there is no doubt in this. But the Prophet said:
"You marry women for four reasons: her wealth, her nobility, her beauty and her religion. So try to get one who is religious, may your hand be covered with dust.

So the starting point in proposing to a woman is to look at her religion, and the more religious and the more beautiful she is, the more suitable she is, whether she be a close relative or distant. This is because the religious wife protects him regarding his property, his children and his house and the beautiful fulfills his needs and diverts his gaze, so that he does not look at anyone else with her. And Allah knows best.