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Is the marriage valid if it took place without the father's knowledge due to his refusal to marry his daughter to a young man because of tribal reasons and because the young man adheres to the Salafi methodology, despite attempts to convince him proving futile?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a woman wishes to marry a man who is her equal, her guardian has no right to prevent her from doing so; otherwise, he would be unjustly preventing her marriage. In such a case, the matter may be referred to the Sharia judge. There is a difference of opinion regarding the transfer of guardianship to a more distant relative without recourse to the ruler, but the preponderant view is that guardianship transfers to the more distant guardian. If the marriage takes place without a guardian, it is invalid according to the majority of scholars. The woman's guardian is her father, then her grandfather, then her son, then her full brother, then her half-brother (from the father's side), then their sons, then her paternal uncles. If the father loses the eligibility for guardianship, the guardianship transfers to the more distant relative. If the woman has no suitable guardian, the Muslim judge may marry her off with her permission.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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