It is not permissible for guardians to be lax in matters of religion

Question: It is regrettable that some guardians are lax in matters that are of great importance, such as taqwa (mindfulness of Allah), prayer, and establishing the rites of Islam, while they hold firmly to other matters. Perhaps Your Eminence has a perspective on this. For example, they say a girl is reserved for her cousin, and it is not permissible for anyone to marry her from outside the family, even though that is not the case. What is your guidance on this matter, O Shaykh?

Answer: Being lax in matters of religion, such as prayer, zakah, fasting, and Hajj, or in sins, such as zina, riba, drinking intoxicants, and other sins, or in dutifulness to parents and enjoining good and forbidding evil, is a serious matter. It is not permissible for guardians or anyone else to be lax in matters of religion.
If some people are lax due to the weakness of their religion and faith and their lack of taqwa, where they are lax in matters of religion but strict in other matters to conform to their group or tribe, this is a sign of weak faith. Such a person does not benefit from admonition. For example, if he says, "My daughter remains for my cousin" or "My sister remains for my cousin," this is injustice, error, and a wrong.
It is obligatory for the guardian to marry his ward to a suitable suitor, even if he is not a relative, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surat al-Hujurat: 13], and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): .
In fact, it is obligatory to marry her to a suitable suitor that she approves of, even if he is not a relative. It is not permissible to force her to marry someone she does not approve of, even if he is a suitable relative, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): They said: "O Messenger of Allah, how is her permission?" He said: . It is agreed upon that it is authentic. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
From this, it is known that the father does not have the right to force her to marry someone she does not approve of, even if she is a virgin. It is not permissible to force a virgin or a previously married woman; rather, it is obligatory to seek their permission and obtain their consent. A previously married woman speaks and says, "Yes," and for a virgin, her silence is sufficient, based on the aforementioned hadiths.
It is obligatory for her guardian to choose for her a righteous man, even if he is not from her tribe, even if he is not an Arab, even if he is a non-Arab, provided he has religion and good character. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Surat al-Hujurat: 13].
If her tribe is not pleased with this, or if harm is feared from it, he should seek from his tribe or from the well-known Arab tribes someone whose religion and character he approves of, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surat al-Taghabun: 16], and His saying: [Surat al-Mu'minun: 8]. It is known that a daughter, a sister, and the like are a trust, and it is obligatory for the guardian to care for them properly, by educating them, guiding them to good, and seeking a righteous husband for them, even if he is not from their tribe. And success is from Allah.