The Ruling on the Stepfather’s Guardianship in a Woman’s Marriage Contract

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says — or rather, this is a woman asking, and she says: Can my mother’s husband be my guardian (wali) when the marriage contract is concluded?

The Shaykh:
No, he is not your father. What does your guardian say?

The questioner:
A woman asks and says: Can your mother’s husband…

The Shaykh:
Her mother’s husband is not her guardian; her mother’s husband is not her guardian. Her guardian is her father, if he is available, or the closest of her male agnatic relatives (asabah). But her mother’s husband is considered only one of her mahram (a relative one may not marry).