What is your opinion regarding a man who has a girl, and suitors come to propose to her, but he rejects them until she reaches the age of thirty, thereby depriving her of the prime of her youth?
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The questioner : Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. He says: What is your opinion, Shaykh Muhammad, regarding a man who has a girl, and many suitors come to propose to her, but he rejects them one after another until she reaches the age of thirty, thereby depriving her of the prime of her youth? What is your opinion on this matter? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. And upon the questioner, peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah.
Our opinion regarding this man, to whom many suitors come to propose to his ward, but he rejects them until she reaches the age of thirty, is that he has erred in this behavior. It is obligatory for him, if a suitable suitor comes to propose to his ward, one who is suitable in his religion and character, and she is pleased with him, that he should marry her off. It is not permissible for him to prevent her from that. If he does this, he becomes an open sinner, and his guardianship is dropped, and it passes to the next of the awliya (close friends of Allah) in order of priority, even if he is her father or her full brother. He has no right to prevent her, because that is contrary to the trust that Allah the Exalted has placed upon him. In the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said:Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:875 And Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said: [An-Nur 24:32] So this man should repent to Allah Mighty and Majestic, and he should hasten to marry her off to the first suitable suitor who proposes to her. He should also seek her forgiveness for what he did with her in not marrying her off to the suitable suitors who proposed to her. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh. Also, he has...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. If he does not do so, then the guardianship is dropped. If his guardianship is dropped, it transfers to the next of the awliya (close friends of Allah) in order of priority. Yes.
The questioner : Honorable Shaykh Muhammad, there is also a section for the questioner Ibrahim Abdullah, who says.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. And upon the questioner, peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah.
Our opinion regarding this man, to whom many suitors come to propose to his ward, but he rejects them until she reaches the age of thirty, is that he has erred in this behavior. It is obligatory for him, if a suitable suitor comes to propose to his ward, one who is suitable in his religion and character, and she is pleased with him, that he should marry her off. It is not permissible for him to prevent her from that. If he does this, he becomes an open sinner, and his guardianship is dropped, and it passes to the next of the awliya (close friends of Allah) in order of priority, even if he is her father or her full brother. He has no right to prevent her, because that is contrary to the trust that Allah the Exalted has placed upon him. In the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said:
If there comes to you one whose religion and character you are pleased with, then marry her to him. If you do not do so, there will be a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the land and great corruption.
إذا أتاكم من ترضون دينه وخلقه فأنكحوه، إلا تفعلوه تكن فتنة في الأرض وفساد كبيرAnd marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty, and Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
وَأَنكِحُوا الأَيَامَى مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَإِمَائِكُمْ إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌThe questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh. Also, he has...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. If he does not do so, then the guardianship is dropped. If his guardianship is dropped, it transfers to the next of the awliya (close friends of Allah) in order of priority. Yes.
The questioner : Honorable Shaykh Muhammad, there is also a section for the questioner Ibrahim Abdullah, who says.