What is the religious ruling on parents preventing their daughter from marrying a committed and respectable young man for worldly reasons (such as financial circumstances, lineage, and tribal considerations), while they accept her marriage to a young man who is not committed? And how should the girl act in this situation?
Acquaintance and relationships of admiration between young men and women for the purpose of marriage are a door to tribulation (fitnah), and one should be wary of them.
If the aforementioned young man is a suitable match for you, then your guardian has no right to prevent you from marrying him; otherwise, he would be an 'āḍil (one who unjustly prevents marriage). 'Aḍl is the act of preventing a woman from marrying her suitable match if she desires him.
If the guardian's 'aḍl is proven, some scholars believe that guardianship transfers to the next in line among the guardians, while others believe it transfers to the ruler (Sultan).
We advise reaching an understanding with the guardian, or seeking mediation from someone who can speak to him. If he agrees, then that is excellent. If he refuses, then it is permissible for the next in line among the guardians to marry you off. If you are unable to achieve that, you may refer the matter to the judiciary to compel the guardian or for the judge to marry you off.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/194598