Fatwa ID: 08466

 

 

Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah

 

Question:

 

I want to marry this woman insha Allah, everything has gone well except for her relationship with her father. Due to a divorce from her mother and a remarriage, he avoids conversation with her apart from sending Islamic quotes on Whatsapp. She has tried for years prior to meeting me to reconcile the relationship with her father to no avail. But he continues to make it difficult and avoids her attempts to contact him. What should we do in this situation as her father must be present at a nikkah?

 

For extra context:

 

-She has 2 younger brothers who are slightly younger than her and are her only mehrams

 

– She is 23 yrs old

 

– In the past, other respected people from the community as well as social workers have tried to deal with the situation but there’s been no progress.

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

 

Answer:

 

According to the opinion of the Hanafi madhab, it is not strictly necessary for a woman to have a wali for her marriage to be valid, although having a wali is certainly highly recommended. Ideally the husband would be someone who is Islamically compatible, although the opinion which is taken in the Hanafi madhab is that this is not necessary for the validity of the marriage. Therefore, her marriage would still be considered valid even if her father is not present.

 

 

While guardianship is not necessary, it would still be best for a woman’s wali to be present and approve of the marriage. If a father refuses to act as a wali for his daughter in marriage, then it is agreed that guardianship transfers to the next closest relative. This would be her paternal grandfather. If he is also not a possibility, then the guardianship would go to the paternal great-grandfather and so on, and then to the full brothers. The full brothers are equal in this regard, and so either one can act as a wali.

 

 

 

 

References:

 

فَإِنَّ حَاصِلَهُ: أَنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ إذَا زَوَّجَتْ نَفْسَهَا مِنْ كُفْءٍ لَزِمَ عَلَى الْأَوْلِيَاءِ وَإِنْ زَوَّجَتْ مِنْ غَيْرِ كُفْءٍ لَا يَلْزَمُ

Radd Al-Mukhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.84

 

 

(بِعَدَمِ جَوَازِهِ أَصْلًا) وَهُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ لِلْفَتْوَى (لِفَسَادِ الزَّمَانِ)

Radd Al-Mukhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.57

 

 

وَالْمَوَالِي وَهُمْ غَيْرُ الْعَرَبِ لَا يَكُونُونَ أَكْفَاءً لِلْعَرَبِ وَالْمَوَالِي بَعْضُهُمْ أَكْفَاءٌ لِبَعْضٍ(وَمِنْهَا إسْلَامُ الْآبَاءِ)

مَنْ أَسْلَمَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَبٌ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَا يَكُونُ كُفْئًا لِمَنْ لَهُ أَبٌ وَاحِدٌ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ، كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ وَمَنْ لَهُ أَبٌ وَاحِدٌ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ؛ لَا يَكُونُ كُفْئًا لِمَنْ لَهُ أَبَوَانِ فَصَاعِدًا فِي الْإِسْلَامِ، كَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ وَاَلَّذِي أَسْلَمَ بِنَفْسِهِ لَا يَكُونُ كُفْئًا لِلَّتِي لَهَا أَبَوَانِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ وَيَكُونُ كُفْئًا لِمِثْلِهِ هَذَا إذَا كَانَ فِي مَوْضِعٍ قَدْ تَبَاعَدَ عَهْدُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَطَالَ وَأَمَّا إذَا كَانَ الْعَهْدُ قَرِيبًا بِحَيْثُ لَا يُعَيَّرُ وَلَا يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ عَيْبًا فَإِنَّهُ يَكُونُ كُفْئًا، كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ

وَمَنْ لَهُ أَبَوَانِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ كَانَ كُفْئًا لِامْرَأَةٍ لَهَا ثَلَاثَةُ آبَاءٍ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ. رَجُلٌ ارْتَدَّ وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاَللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَسْلَمَ فَهُوَ كُفْءٌ لِمَنْ لَمْ تَجْرِ عَلَيْهِ رِدَّةٌ، كَذَا فِي الْقُنْيَةِ.

Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.290

 

 

وَأَمَّا وِلَايَةُ النَّدْبِ وَالِاسْتِحْبَابِ فَهِيَ: الْوِلَايَةُ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ الْبَالِغَةِ الْعَاقِلَةِ بِكْرًا كَانَتْ أَوْ ثَيِّبًا

Badaai’ Al-Sanaai’ (Daar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.247

 

 

وأجمعوا أن الأقرب إذا عضل تنتقل الولاية إلى الأبعد

Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.285

 

 

وأقرب الأولياء إلى المرأة الابن ثم ابن الابن، وإن سفل ثم الأب ثم الجد أبو الأب، وإن علا، كذا في المحيط. فإذا كان للمجنونة أب وابن أو جد وابن؛ فالولاية للابن عندهما وعند محمد – رحمه الله تعالى – للأب، كذا في السراج الوهاج.

والأفضل أن يأمر الأب الابن بالنكاح حتى يجوز بلا خلاف، كذا في شرح الطحاوي. ثم الأخ لأب وأم

Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.283

 

 

وإذا اجتمع للصغير والصغيرة وليان مستويان كالأخوين والعمين فأيهما زوج جاز عندنا، كذا في فتاوى قاضي خان. سواء أجاز الآخر أو فسخ

Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.284

 

 

 

 

Only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham