I am engaged to my cousin, a moral and devout woman, but have become concerned about the likelihood of our children suffering from congenital disorders as the result of intermarriage.
I at first thought that ‘inbreeding’ was simply the idle chatter of foreigners who think they know everything. But it is now even being discussed on the radio in Iran. Allah tells us in our Holy Qur’an that ‘nothing can touch us, unless Allah wills’. Please do advise me.

People are discouraged from marrying close family members as scientists have confirmed that genes become weakened after generations of intermarriage. However, the ayah of the Qur’an which you quote does not mean that we cannot change our circumstances. A blood test will indicate the likelihood of any congenital disorders that may result from your marrying your cousin.