In Islam, a mahram is a family member with whom marriage would be considered permanently unlawful (haram). One's spouse is also a mahram. A woman does not need to wear hijab around her mahram, and an adult male mahram may escort a woman on a journey, although an escort may not be obligatory. Overview People with whom marriage is prohibited permanent or blood mahrams include: all direct ancestors all direct descendants siblings siblings of parents, grandparents and further antecedents children and further descendants of siblings in-law mahrams with whom one becomes mahram by marrying someone: all the ancestors of one's spouse all the descendants of one's spouse all who marry a direct ancestor all who marry a direct descendant (Note: A woman may marry her stepfather only if the stepfather has not consummated his marriage to her mother.) Rada or "milk-suckling mahrams" with whom one becomes mahram because of being nursed by the same woman: foster mother foster sibling When a woman acts as a wetnurse (that is she breast feeds an infant that is not her own child for a certain amount of time under certain conditions), she becomes the child's rada mother. In English these can be referred to as milk brother, milk-mother, and so on. For a man, mahram women include his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, grandaunt, niece, grandniece, his father's wife, his wife's daughter (step-daughter), his daughter-in-law (if previously married to his biological son. She's not mahram if she was married to his adopted son), his mother-in-law, his rada mother and rada sister. As the Prophet Mohamed said, "What is forbidden by reason of kinship is forbidden by reason of suckling." These are considered mahram because they are mentioned in the Quran (An-Nisa 22–23): All of the man's female relatives mentioned in these two verses are considered his maharim, because it is unlawful (haram) for him to marry them, except the wife's sister, whom he can marry if he divorces her sister, or if his wife dies. The notion of mahram is reciprocal. All other relatives are considered non-maharim. Legal escorts of women during journey A woman may be legally escorted during a journey by her husband, or by any sane, adult male mahram by blood, although an escort may not be required, including: her father, grandfather or other male ancestor her son, grandson or other male descendant her brother her uncle, great uncle,