How should a girl act after her guardian has agreed to her engagement to a religiously and morally committed young man, then wished to marry her to another who is less committed, especially since she only wishes to marry the one who proposed to her first?

It is forbidden to propose to a Muslim woman already engaged to another Muslim man if the first suitor has been given an affirmative answer and has not given permission or abandoned the engagement. The one who does so is disobedient to Allah and His Messenger. The Four Imams and others have unanimously agreed on the prohibition of this. Some of them even held that the second marriage is invalid, but others consider it valid, though sinful. It is not permissible for the girl's father to accept the second suitor unless there is a legitimate Sharia (definition) reason to annul the first engagement, such as the suitor's illness or his appearance as an immoral person. It is advisable to discuss this with the father gently and respectfully, reminding him of the prohibition of proposing over another's proposal, of breaking promises, and of assisting an aggressor. If the student cannot do this herself, she should ask someone whom her father respects and who can persuade him to advise him.