1st August 2020
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: I Like some clarification on whether a father is Islamically allowed to force his daughter to marry someone she does not wish to marry. I was under the impression that the general principle is that there is no force in Islam – wouldn’t that then mean that a father (or any of her wali) ‘cannot’ force his daughter to marry? I was told a few days ago, by someone studied, that the permissibility of forced marriage was the view of Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), but, I just cannot seem to reconcile between this view and the general principle mentioned above.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In reference to the above question, the standard position in the Hanafi school is that a father or wali cannot force his daughter to marry against her will.[1] Islām has given her the final decision as to whether to accept the marriage proposal or not.[2] This means that they should be consulted before marriage.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, “A previously married women should not be married off until consulted and neither a virgin girl (should be married off) except with her permission.”[3] Furthermore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam gave choices to the girls who were forced by their fathers to marry against their wills, to either stay in the marriage contract or to annul it.[4] Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbas radhiyallahu anhu narrates that a young girl came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, complaining that her father had forcefully married her off, and she disliked the situation she was currently in. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam gave her a choice, i.e. to either continue with the marriage or to annul it.[5]
The above was the case of not marrying the daughter off by force against her will. As a side note though that if the parents recommend a potential rishta who is compatible with her and are being reasonable with her then she should not refuse the rishta considering that parents generally are well experienced in matters pertaining to marriage.
Allāh Knows Best
Written by: Apa Gul-e-Maryam Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Mirqaat Mafeteeh, [بَابُ الْوَلِيِّ فِي النِّكَاحِ وَاسْتِئْذَانِ الْمَرْأَةِ], Vol 5, Pg. 2060
وَكُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ بَلَغَتْ فَهِيَ أَحَقُّ بِنَفْسِهَا مِنْ وَلِيِّهَا وَعَقْدُهَا عَلَى نَفْسِهَا بِالنِّكَاحِ صَحِيحٌ، وَبِهِ قَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ وَالزَّهْرِيُّ قَالُوا: وَلَيْسَ الْوَلِيُّ مِنْ أَرْكَانِ صِحَّةِ النِّكَاحِ بَلْ مِنْ تَمَامِهِ،
[2]Fatawa Hindiyya, Vol1, Pg 269
[الْبَابُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي تَفْسِيرِ النِّكَاحِ شَرْعًا وَصِفَتِهِ وَرُكْنِهِ وَشَرْطِهِ وَحُكْمِهِ],
وَمِنْهَا) رِضَا الْمَرْأَةِ إذَا كَانَتْ بَالِغَةً بِكْرًا كَانَتْ أَوْ ثَيِّبًا فَلَا يَمْلِكُ الْوَلِيُّ إجْبَارَهَا عَلَى النِّكَاحِ عِنْدَنَا، كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ
[3] Abu Dawood, No: 2092
بَابٌ فِي الِاسْتِئْمَارِ
حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا تُنْكَحُ الثَّيِّبُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ، وَلَا الْبِكْرُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهَا» قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَمَا إِذْنُهَا قَالَ: «أَنْ تَسْكُتَ»
ومن باب البكر يزوجها أبوها ولا يستأمرها
قال: حَدَّثنا حسين بن محمد، قال: حَدَّثنا جرير بن حازم عن أيوب عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس أن جارية بكراً أتت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكرت أن أباها زوجها وهي كارهة فخيرها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.
قال الشيخ ففى هذا الحديث حجة لمن لم ير نكاح الأب ابنته البكر جائزاً إلا يإذنها. وفيه أيضاً حجة لمن رأى عقد النكاح يثبت مع الخيار
Mabsoot Sarakhsi, Vol 4, Pg 212
[بَابُ نِكَاحِ الصَّغِيرِ وَالصَّغِيرَةِ],
لَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ رُوِيَ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا – أَنَّهُ قَالَ: وَاَللَّهِ لَقَدْ اُنْتُزِعَتْ مِنِّي بَعْدَ أَنْ مَلَكْتُهَا فَإِذَا ثَبَتَ جَوَازُ تَزْوِيجِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ الصَّغِيرَ وَالصَّغِيرَةَ فَلَهُمَا الْخِيَارُ إذَا أَدْرَكَا فِي قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَمُحَمَّدٍ – رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – وَهُوَ قَوْلُ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا – وَبِهِ كَانَ يَقُولُ أَبُو يُوسُفَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ، وَقَالَ: لَا خِيَارَ لَهُمَا،
[5] Nayl Awtar, vol 6, Pg 143
[بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي الْإِجْبَارِ وَالِاسْتِئْمَارِ],
(وَعَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: «أَنَّ جَارِيَةً بِكْرًا أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فَذَكَرَتْ أَنَّ أَبَاهَا زَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ كَارِهَةٌ، فَخَيَّرَهَا النَّبِيُّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -» رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارَقُطْنِيّ، وَرَوَاهُ الدَّارَقُطْنِيّ أَيْضًا عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – مُرْسَلًا وَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ أَصَحُّ) …..
لْحَدِيثُ أَوْرَدَهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ لِلِاسْتِدْلَالِ بِهِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَجُوزُ لِلْأَبِ أَنْ يُزَوِّجَ ابْنَتَهُ الصَّغِيرَةَ بِغَيْرِ اسْتِئْذَانِهَا، وَلَعَلَّهُ أَخَذَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَدَمِ ذِكْرِ الِاسْتِئْذَانِ
See Bathlul Majhood,Kitabun Nikah, Hadith 2097,Vol 7,Pg 678-679