What is the ruling on a father refusing to marry off his son when the son needs to do so?

The questioner : It is permissible for the son to disobey his father if the son requests marriage and the father refuses.

The Shaykh : Because this is one of the personal matters that concern the individual himself, and the father’s refusal has no justification whatsoever. It is not permissible for the father to refuse to marry off his son; rather, it is obligatory for the father to marry off his son from his own wealth if the son has no wealth.

The questioner : So if this son is a student and has no money, and he needs to get married and says to his father, “Marry me off,” is his father obligated to marry him off?

The Shaykh : Yes, he is obligated to marry him off. It is necessary for him to marry me off. Well, if he marries him off to one woman and she is not sufficient for him, and he says, “I want a second one,” he is obligated to do so. If he asks for a third, he is obligated, and a fourth and a fifth—this is prevented. In any case, it is obligatory for the father, if he is wealthy, to chaste his son by marrying him off with what brings about chastity, as an obligation, even if he refuses, he is compelled to do so.

The questioner : Well, if this is the Islamic ruling, how is it permissible for the father to prevent his son from getting married on the excuse that he has not completed his studies?

The Shaykh : And according to my observation, marriage does not prevent study, neither for female students nor for male students. Rather, it helps in study, especially if a person is blessed with a woman who helps him in his studies by being at his level, so the two spouses help each other in their studies, and benefit is obtained from this for this one and from this for that one. The summary of the answer is that the son is not obligated to obey his father in refusing marriage during the days of study. Rather, he gets married. If he has money, let him get married with his money. If he does not have money, then the father is obligated to marry him off from his own money. As for the father giving his zakah to the son for the sake of marriage, this is not permissible, because the father is obligated to marry him off from his own private wealth, and zakah is for its rightful recipients. Yes.