What should a committed girl do if she suffers from her family's continuous rejection of her suitors, under the pretext that they are from neighboring villages, which has led to her getting older and her marriage being delayed?
When parents prevent their daughter from marrying someone whose character and religious commitment she approves of, simply because of his geographical proximity, this is an act of injustice and forbidden 'adl (unjust prevention of marriage) according to Sharia. The guardian must agree to marry off the girl to a man of good character and religious commitment if she is pleased with him; otherwise, widespread discord and corruption will ensue.
If the closest guardian refuses to marry her off, the guardianship transfers to the next in line among the guardians. If all of them prevent her marriage, then the judge marries her off, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "If they dispute, then the ruler is the guardian of the one who has no guardian."
Nevertheless, the injustice of the parents does not permit disobedience to them or negligence in showing them dutifulness. She must be patient and pray, while maintaining a good opinion of Allah.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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