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Is it permissible for the maternal uncle or the maternal grandfather to be the woman's guardian in the absence of the paternal grandfather, father, son, or brother? Is the guardian considered to be unjustly preventing the marriage if the paternal uncle is present, given existing conflicts and his lack of desire for what is good? Is it permissible for the woman to choose whoever she deems suitable for guardianship? Is seclusion permissible between the contracting party (groom) and the contracted party (bride) immediately after the marriage contract?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Guardianship in marriage belongs to the female's paternal relatives (Asabat). The maternal uncle and the maternal grandfather are not eligible for guardianship. If the guardianship belongs to the paternal uncle, his disagreements or lack of goodwill do not invalidate his guardianship. The guardian does not have the right to force the girl to marry someone she does not desire. If she fears that he will prevent her from marrying (Aḍl), she may refer the matter to the Sharia judge. Once the marriage contract is concluded, everything permissible between a husband and his wife becomes permissible for him, including privacy with her, while observing custom or agreement to delay consummation.

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

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