Advice to the guardian regarding the marriage of daughters.

Question:
Advice to fathers and urging them to marry off their wards, since my father rejects the suitors because we are three sisters who are repeat students at the university and we receive excellent salaries. My father is afraid and hopes that we will marry these capable, righteous men, but he is afraid for these amounts. So we ask for advice.

Answer:
Answer: There is no doubt that daughters are a trust in the neck of their father, and he must look after their interests and protect them. He is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. Among the greatest interests of daughters is marrying them to suitable, righteous men. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When there comes to you one whose religion and character you are satisfied with, then marry him. If you do not, there will be fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) on the earth and great corruption.” Marriage has great benefits, and Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has prescribed marriage, saying: “And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves.” It contains great benefits. It is not permissible for the wali (guardian) of a woman, whether her father or another, to prevent her from marrying a suitable suitor whom she is pleased with. If he does so, this is the forbidden ‘adl (preventing marriage), and consequently, if he persists in this, his guardianship over the woman is dropped and transfers to the next in line among the awliya (close friends of Allah) to preserve the interests of women. Let this father who prevents the marriage of his daughters out of greed for their salaries fear Allah, for this is forbidden ‘adl, harm, and causing harm to the woman. A righteous, suitable man is better for her than a job; a job is better for her than employment, because preventing her marriage for the sake of her salary causes her to miss the benefits that Allah has placed in marriage. It is well known that if a woman is proposed to for the first time and is not married, she becomes an old maid; after that, suitors lose interest in her, despair of her, and avoid her, and she remains unmarried. This state of being unmarried brings harm to women and to society. Therefore, it is obligatory for these fathers and guardians to fear Allah regarding their daughters and those under their care, and to marry them to suitable, righteous men if they are pleased with them. For if marriage passes a woman by, much good passes her by; she becomes idle, suitors turn away from her, and she remains an old maid. Perhaps the years will pass over her, and perhaps she will grow old and no one will desire her. The cause of this will be her father or her wali (guardian) who kept her from marriage out of greed for her salary. This salary is forbidden for him because of which he prevents her marriage to a suitable, righteous man whom she is pleased with. It becomes forbidden for him because it is injustice to her. Therefore, it is obligatory for the awliya (close friends of Allah), fathers and others, to look after the interests of women, for they are a trust with them, and they should not look only at their own private interests at the expense of, or by causing harm to, the women. We ask Allah to guide all Muslims to what is good, righteous, and upright.