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Is a daughter's refusal to marry her cousin, whom she does not deem suitable for her religion, considered disobedience to her parents, who insist on this marriage, especially given that her father sexually assaulted her in her childhood, and her parents generally mistreat her, and they rejected another religious and suitable suitor? And did she err by telling her mother what her father did, and is a father entitled to do whatever he wishes with his children under the pretext of fatherhood?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

What has been mentioned about the father believing he has a right over his daughters, even to the extent of intercourse, and using obedience to parents as justification, is a great calumny. Whoever deems this permissible is a disbeliever by the consensus of Muslims, because its prohibition is known by necessity from the religion of Islam. You must obey your father in what is good, not in disobedience. You are not obligated to marry your cousin, and you have the right to accept or reject him, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The previously married woman has more right to herself than her guardian, and the virgin should be asked for her permission concerning herself, and her permission is her silence." If a righteous man proposes and your father rejects him because he is not from your family, then he is an oppressor (adil), and guardianship transfers from him to the next in line (the grandfather, then the brother), and he may marry you off without the father's consent, while considering the harms that may result from that.

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

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