Back to search

What is the ruling of Islamic law regarding the refusal of the questioner's father to complete his son's marriage to his fiancée until after the latter finishes her studies, even though the questioner is in his final year and is able to bear the expenses of marriage, and has already contracted an 'urfi marriage with his fiancée?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A customary marriage (zawaj urfi) conducted secretly without the knowledge of the woman's guardian (wali) is invalid, as it violates the condition of the guardian's consent for the contract's validity. Therefore, both parties must separate immediately and repent. To rectify the matter, the legitimate Islamic path must be followed by the woman seeking her guardian's consent. Furthermore, parents should facilitate their children's marriages and marry off those who propose to them, provided they possess good character and religious commitment. If a young man cannot endure waiting for marriage until he finishes his studies and fears falling into sin, then he must marry, even without his father's consent, for pleasing Allah takes precedence over pleasing one's father.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy