The religion of Islam has given clear guidance regarding its principles, laws, civilisation and social conduct, and has also made us aware of the rights of the sacred relationship between a father and his daughter. A daughter is honour. When she conducts a marriage without her father’s permission, people say that so-and-so’s honour has run away. Such a father sinks into the ground with shame, and considers stepping outside his threshold forever a cause of disgrace and humiliation for himself.
How could Islam ever tolerate humiliation for its followers? That is why it declared null the marriage of a woman who marries without the permission of her wali (Guardian). But, unfortunately, those who use the name of Islam to bring disrepute upon Islam, besides many other low tactics, have also tried in some way to remove the permission of the wali from marriage, so that immorality might easily spread into Islamic society.
Let us now make an impartial review of the Islamic teachings regarding the requirement of the wali’s permission in marriage, and of the arguments presented against it.
Argument No. 1:
The statement of Allah the Exalted is:
وَاِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاۗءَ فَبَلَغْنَ اَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوْهُنَّ اَنْ يَّنْكِحْنَ اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ
“And when you divorce women and they reach their prescribed term, do not prevent them from marrying their husbands.”
This verse is evidence that a marriage without the permission of the wali is not valid. In this verse the address is to the awliya’, and this establishes their authority and right in the marriage of the woman.
The renowned Sunni commentator Imam Abu Ja’far Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 310 AH), under this verse, says:
“In this noble verse there is clear indication that the view of those who say that there is no marriage without the permission of the wali from the ‘asabah (paternal male relatives) is correct, because if a woman wished to marry, Allah the Exalted has forbidden the wali from preventing her. If a woman could marry herself without a wali, or could make whomever she wished her wali, then there would be no meaning to the prohibition on the wali from stopping her from marriage, because in that case the wali would have no way to restrain her: whenever she wished, she would marry herself or appoint a wali, and he would marry her off (so there would be no point in prohibiting the original wali).”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 774 AH) writes:
وفيهما ولالة على أن المرأة لا تملك أن تزوج نفسها، وأناه لا بد فى لنكاح من ولي، كما قال الترمذي و ابن جرير عند هذه الآية.
“In this verse there is evidence that a woman cannot marry herself; rather, the presence of a wali is necessary for marriage. This same view has been expressed by Imam al-Tirmidhi and Imam Ibn Jarir rahimahumallah in the commentary of this verse.”
The explanation of this verse is clarified by the following hadith. Sayyiduna Ma’qil ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
كانت لي أخت الي، فأتاني ابن عم لي، فأنكحتها اياه، ثم طلقها طلاقاله رجعة، ثم تركها حتي انقضت عدتها، فلما خطبت الي، أتاني يخطب، فقلت، لا والله! لا أنكحها أبدا، قال: ففي نزلت هذه الآية: (واذا طلقتم النساۗء فبلغن اجلهن فلا تعضلوهن ان ينكحن ازواجهن) الآية، قال: فكفرت عن يميني، فأنكحتها اياه.
“Proposals of marriage came to me for one of my sisters. A paternal cousin of mine also came, so I married my sister to him. Then he divorced her with a revocable divorce, and left her until her waiting period was completed. When proposals from others began to come to me, he too came with a proposal of marriage. I said, ‘No, by Allah! I will never marry my sister to you.’ This verse was revealed concerning me.”
وَاِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاۗءَ فَبَلَغْنَ اَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوْهُنَّ اَنْ يَّنْكِحْنَ اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ
“Then I paid the expiation for my oath and married my sister to him.”
Imam al-Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) (279-200 AH) writes about this hadith:
و فى هذا الحديث دلالة على أنه لا تجوز النكاح بغير ولي، لأن أخت معقل بن يسار كانت ثيبا، فلو كان الأمر اليها لزوجت نفسها ولم تحتج الي وليها معقل بن يسار، و انما خاطب الله فى هذه الآية الأولياء: فقال:(واذا طلقتم النساۗء فبلغن اجلهن فلا تعضلوهن ان ينكحن ازواجهن) ففي هذه الآية دلالة على أن الأمر الي الأولياء فى التزويج مع رضاهن.
“In this hadith there is evidence that marriage without a wali is not permissible, because the sister of Sayyiduna Ma’qil ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) was a thayyib (previously married/divorced). If the matter of marriage had been in her hands, she would have married herself and would not have needed her wali, Sayyiduna Ma’qil ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him). In this verse Allah the Exalted addressed the walis, saying:
(فَلَا تَعْضُلُوْهُنَّ اَنْ يَّنْكِحْنَ اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ)
(do not prevent them from marrying their former husbands)
Therefore, it is known from this verse that the matter of marriage lies in the hands of the walis, though the consent of the women is necessary.”
Allama al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) (1173-1250 AH) writes about this hadith:
This hadith is evidence that the presence of a wali is a condition in marriage. If this were not a condition, then a man’s interest in a woman and a woman’s interest in a man would be sufficient. This hadith also refutes the analogy by which Imam Abu Hanifah took proof for the absence of the condition of the wali’s permission; he analogised marriage to sale (buying and selling), in that in that transaction the woman is independent and no wali is needed, and the same applies to marriage. He interpreted the hadiths indicating that the wali’s permission is a condition for marriage as applying to a young girl, and through this analogy he restricted the generality of those hadiths. But this analogy is corrupt, and it has no weight against the hadith of Sayyiduna Ma’qil ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him).
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him, 773-852 AH) writes:
Scholars have differed on whether the permission of the guardian (wali) is a condition in marriage. The position of the majority (jumhur) is that the permission of the guardian is a condition for marriage. They say that a woman absolutely cannot marry herself. They have used the aforementioned hadiths as evidence. Among them, the strongest proof is the occasion of revelation (sabab nuzul) mentioned regarding this noble verse, and it is the most explicit evidence that the guardian’s permission is a condition. Otherwise, there would be no meaning in (Sayyidina Ma’qil’s) prohibition. Furthermore, if that woman could marry on her own, she would not be dependent on her brother, and one who is independent in his own affairs cannot be said to have been prevented from that act by someone. Imam Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned that he is not aware of any difference of opinion among the Companions on this matter.
Proof No. 2:
The Almighty’s saying:
(فَانْكِحُوْهُنَّ بِاِذْنِ اَهْلِهِنَّ وَاٰتُوْهُنَّ اُجُوْرَهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ)
“Marry them with the permission of their family, and give them their dowries in a fitting manner.”
Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
(باذن اهلهن) باذن أربابهن و أمرهم اياكم بالنكاح و رضا هم
“That is, with the permission of the guardians of those women, and (marry them) with their command regarding marriage and their consent.”
Proof No. 3:
Allah the Exalted says:
( وَلَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ حَتّٰى يُؤْمِنُوْا)
“And do not marry (your women) to polytheists until they believe.”
Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) derived from this noble verse that a marriage without the guardian’s permission is not valid.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
ووجه الاحتجاج من الآية والتي بعدها أنه تعالي خاطب بالنكاح الرجال ولم يخاطب به النساء، فكأنه قال: لا تنكحوا أيها الأولياء مولياتكم للمشركين.
The basis of the argument from this verse and the one following it is that Allah the Exalted addressed men regarding marriage, not women. It is as if He said: O guardians, do not marry those under your guardianship to polytheists.
Proof No. 4:
The saying of Allah:
(وَاَنْكِحُوا الْاَيَامٰى مِنْكُمْ)
“And marry off the single men among you.”
Imam al-Bukhari also established from this noble verse that a marriage without the guardian’s permission is not valid.
After the Qur’anic evidences, let us look at the hadith evidences:
Proof No. 1:
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), describing the four forms of marriage in the time of ignorance, says:
ان النكاح فى الجاهلية كان على ۷۱ربعة أنحاء، فنكاح منها نكاح الناس اليوم، يخطب الرجل الي الرجل وليته أوابنته، فيصدقها، ثم ينكحها….. فلما بعث محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم بالحق هدم نكاح الجاهلية كله الا نكاح الناس اليوم.
In the time of ignorance there were four ways of marriage. One of them is the one people practise today: a man would send a proposal of marriage to another man regarding a woman or daughter under his guardianship, then he would give her a dowry and marry her… When Muhammad ﷺ was sent with the truth, he abolished all the marriages of the time of ignorance except the marriage that people practise today.
Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) established from the words الّا نکاح النّاس الیوم (“except the marriage that people practise today”) in this hadith that the guardian’s permission is necessary in marriage, because the form of marriage that the Prophet ﷺ upheld, Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) described its manner as that the guardian himself conducts the woman’s marriage.
Proof No. 2:
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(وَمَا يُتْلٰي عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتٰبِ فِيْ يَتٰمَي النِّسَاۗءِ الّٰتِيْ لَا تُؤْتُوْنَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَتَرْغَبُوْنَ اَنْ تَنْكِحُوْهُنَّ)
“And (He also gives you a ruling) concerning what is recited to you in the Book about the orphan girls to whom you do not give their prescribed dowries and whom you do not desire to marry.”
was revealed concerning an orphan girl who was in the custody of a man who shared in her property. That man had the greater right to marry her, but he had no desire to marry her, and he would also prevent her from marrying others, out of fear that someone else might share in his wealth.
Proof No. 3:
Sayyidna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
ان عمر حين تأيمت حفصة بنت عمر من ابن حذافة السهمي و كان من أصحاب النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم من أهل بدر توفي بالمدينة، فقال عمر: لقيت عثمان بن عفان، فعرضت عليه، فقلت: ان شئت أنكحتك حفصة، فقال: سأنظر فى أمري، فلبثت ليالي، ثم لقيني، فقال: بدالي أن لا أتزوج يومي هذا، قال عمر: فلقيت أبا بكر، فقلت: ان شئت أنكحتك حفصة.
When Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)’s daughter Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her)’s husband, Sayyidna Ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was a Badri Companion, passed away in Madinah, Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I met Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) and offered him (Hafsa), and I said: If you wish, I will marry Hafsa to you. He said: I will consider my matter. I waited for some nights, then he met me and said: It has become clear to me that I should not marry at this time. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then I met Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: If you wish, I will marry Hafsa to you. (Eventually her marriage to the Prophet ﷺ took place, and she gained the honour of becoming a Mother of the Believers).
From these two hadiths Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) derived the ruling that marriage without the guardian’s permission is not permissible, because in the first hadith the prohibition of marriage is attributed to the guardian and this is declared impermissible. If the guardian has no authority in Islam to prevent a woman from marrying, then the revelation of that verse would have no purpose, whereas that is absolutely not the case.
In the second hadith too it is clear that, despite Hafsa bint Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) being a widow, the arrangement of her marriage remained with her guardian, that is, Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Furthermore, the words
ان شئت أنكحتك حفصة
(If you wish, I will marry Hafsa to you)
are explicit evidence that the guardian’s permission is necessary in a woman’s marriage, because if the guardian had no authority at all, then attributing marriage to him would be contrary to both language and reason.
Proof No. 4:
Sayyidina Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا نكاح الا بولي.
“There is no marriage without a guardian.”
Imam Ibn al-Jarud (702), Imam Ibn Hibban (4083), Imam Ali ibn al-Madini (al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim: 170/2, al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 108/7), Imam al-Dhuhli (al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim: 170/2) and Imam al-Hakim, may Allah have mercy on them, have declared this hadith sahih.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
هذا حديث حسن صحيح
This hadith is explicit evidence that a marriage does not take place without the permission of the guardian.
Amir al-San’ani says:
والحديث دل على أنه لا يصح النكاح الا بولي، لأن الأصل فى النفي نفي الصحة لا الكمال.
“This hadith is evidence that a marriage is not valid without the guardian’s permission, because in negation the basic meaning is the negation of validity, not the negation of perfection.”
Evidence No. 5:
It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ايما امرأة نكحت بغير اذن و ليها فنكا حها باطل، فنكاحها باطل، فنكاحها باطل، فان دخل بها فلها المهر بما استحل من فرجها، فان اشتجروا فالسلطان ولي من لا ولي له.
“Any woman who marries without the permission of her guardian, her marriage is void, her marriage is void, her marriage is void. If the man consummates the marriage with her, she is entitled to the dower in return for making her private part lawful to him. And if they (the other guardians) dispute, then the ruler is the guardian of the one who has no guardian.”
Imam al-Tirmidhi and Hafiz Ibn Asakir (Mu’jam al-Shuyukh: 234), may Allah have mercy on them both, have declared this hadith “hasan”; while Imam Ibn al-Jarud (700), Imam Abu Awana (4259), Imam Ibn Khuzayma (Fath al-Bari: 191/9), Imam Ibn Hibban (4075, 4074), Hafiz Bayhaqi (al-Sunan al-Kubra: 107/7), Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi (al-Tahqiq: 255/2) and Imam al-Hakim, may Allah have mercy on them, have declared it “sahih”.
Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ليس يصح فى هذا شيء الا حديث سليمان بن موسيٰ.
“In this (the hadith of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) only the hadith of Sulayman ibn Musa is sahih.”
Hafiz Abu Musa al-Madini says:
هذا حديث ثابت مشهور يحتج به.
“This is an established, well-known hadith that is used as evidence.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has described this hadith as hasan.
Hafiz Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes about the narrators of this hadith:
و كلهم ثقه حافظ.
“They are all trustworthy and retentive (thiqa hafiz).”
Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
و هذا حديث جليل فى هذا الباب ((لا نكاح الا بولي))، و على هذا الاعتماد فى ابطال نكاح بغير ولي.
“There is no marriage without the permission of the guardian; regarding this, this hadith is a great one, and upon it is relied in nullifying a marriage without a guardian.”
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, has set up a chapter under this hadith:
ذكر بطلان النكاح الذى نكح بغير ولي.
“The statement that a marriage conducted without a guardian is void.”
Evidence No. 6:
The rightly guided caliph Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
أيما امرأة نكحت بغير اذن وليها فنكاحها باطل، لا نكاح الا باذن ولي.
“Any woman who marries without the permission of her guardian, her marriage is void; there is no marriage without the guardian’s permission.”
Imam Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
هذا اسناد صحيح.
“This chain is sahih.”
Evidence No. 7:
Concerning Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyida Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her):
فكانت زينب تفخر على أزواج النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم تقول: زوجكن أهاليكن و زوجني الله تعالىٰ من فوق سبع سموت.
Sayyida Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) used to boast over the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, saying: your marriages were arranged by your families, while Allah Most High married me from above the seven heavens.
Evidence No. 8:
Sayyidina Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
اذا أراد الرجل أن يزوج ابنته فليستأدنها.
“When a man wishes to marry off his daughter, he should seek her permission.”
Hafiz al-Haythami, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
رواه أبو يعليٰ و الطبراني و رجاله رجال الصحيح.
“It is narrated by Imam Abu Ya’la and Imam al-Tabarani, and its narrators are the narrators of Sahih al-Bukhari.”
In this hadith, a man is commanded to seek the permission of his daughter when marrying her off. It is evident that the authority to conclude the marriage lies with the guardian; otherwise, if the woman were independent in this matter, how could the guardian conclude her marriage, and why would he go around seeking her permission? In that case the woman would tell her family that she intends to marry a certain man, whereas the hadith commands the guardian to take the girl into confidence.
Evidence No. 9:
Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
الثيب أحق بنفسها من وليها، والبكر نستأمر، واذنها سكوتها.
“A previously married woman has more right over herself (in marriage) than her guardian, and a virgin girl is to be consulted; her silence is her permission.”
In one narration it says:
ليس للولي مع لثبت أمر، واليتيمة تستأمر، وصمتها اقرارها.
The guardian has no say in the matter alongside a previously married woman, and a virgin orphan is to be consulted; her silence is her consent.
Imam Ibn Hibban explains the meaning of this hadith as follows:
(( الأيم أحق بنفسها)) أرادبه أحق بنفسها من وليها بأن تختار من الأزواج من شاءت، فتقول: أرضي فلانا، ولا أرضي فلانا، لا أن عقد النكاح اليهن دون الأولياء.
“A previously married woman has more right over herself. What is meant by this is that she may choose among suitors whomever she wishes; she may say, ‘I accept so-and-so and do not accept so-and-so.’ It does not mean that the contract of marriage is in her hands instead of the guardians.”
Explaining the meaning of نيز ليس للولي مع الثيب أمر, he writes:
قوله صلى الله عليه و سلم (( ليس للولي مع الثيب أمر)) يبين لك صحة ما ذهبنا اليه أن الرضا و الاختيار الي النساء والعقد الي الأولياء، لنفيه صلى الله عليه و سلم عن الولي انفراد الامر دونها اذا كانت ثيبا، لأن لها الخيار فى بضعها و الرضا بما يعقد عليها. و قوله صلى الله عليه و سلم: (( اليتيمة تستأمر)) أراد به تسترضيٰ فيمن عزم له على العقد عليها، فان صمتت فهو اقرارها، ثم يتربص بالعقد الي البلوغ، لأنها و ان صمتت و أذنت ليس لها أمر و الا اذن، اذ الأمر و الاذن لا يكون الا للبالغة.
The statement of the Prophet ﷺ, “The guardian has no say alongside a previously married woman,” clearly shows the correctness of our position: that consent and choice belong to women, while the contract belongs to the guardians. This is because the Prophet ﷺ negated the guardian’s sole authority over her when she is previously married, since she has the choice regarding her own person and the consent to what is contracted for her. As for his ﷺ statement, “A virgin orphan is to be consulted,” it means that she should be asked for her approval regarding the man to whom it is intended to marry her; if she remains silent, that is her consent. Then the contract should be deferred until she reaches puberty, because even if she remains silent and gives permission, she has no say and no permission of her own, since the authority and the permission belong only to one who has reached puberty.
Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes under this hadith:
و قداحتج الناس فى اجازة النكاح بغير ولي بهذا الحديث، وليس فى هذا الحديث ما احتجوا به، لأنه قدروي من غير وجه عن ابن عباس عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا نكاح الا بولي(سنن ابن ماجه :۱۸۸۰، وسنده حسن والحديث صحيح) وهكذا أفتي به ابن عباس بعد النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم فقال: لا نكاح الا بولي (سنن سعيد بن منصور: ۵۵۳، مصنف ابن ابي شيبة: ۱۲۸/۲/۴، وسنده ضعيف)، و انما معنٰي قول النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم (( الأيم أحق بنفسها من وليها)) عند أكثر أهل العلم أن الولي لا يزوجها الا برضاها و أمرها، جان زوجها فالنكاح مفسوخ عليٰ حديث خنساء بنت خدام (صحيح بخاري: ۷۷۱/۱، ح: ۵۱۳۸، سنن ترمذي: ۱۱۰۸)حيث زوجها أبوها و هي ثيب، فكرهت ذالك، فرد النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم نكاحه.
Some people have taken from this hadith evidence for the permissibility of marriage without a guardian’s permission, but the hadith contains no proof for what they cite. This is because it has been narrated through several chains from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, “There is no marriage without a guardian” (Sunan Ibn Majah: 1880, its chain is hasan and the hadith is sahih).
Likewise, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) also issued a verdict in this manner (Sunan Sa’id ibn Mansur: 553, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 128/2/4, its chain is da’if).
As for the Prophet’s ﷺ statement that a previously married woman has more right over herself than her guardian, according to most scholars its meaning is that the guardian may not marry her off without her consent and counsel; if the guardian marries her off without her approval, that marriage will be annulled, as in the hadith of Khansa bint Khidam (Sahih al-Bukhari: 771/1, h: 5138; Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 1108), where her father married her off while she was previously married, and she disliked that, so the Prophet ﷺ rejected the marriage her guardian had arranged.”
Allama Sindhi Hanafi writes:
(( الأيم أحق)) هو يقتضي المشاركة، فيفيد أن لها حقا فى نكاحها و لو ليها حقا، و حقها أوكد من حقه، فانها لا تجبر لأجل الولي، و هو يجبر لأجلها، فان أبي زوجها لقاضي، فلاينا فى هذا الحديث حديث: لا نكاح الا بولي.
“A previously married woman has more right” — this statement of the Prophet implies partnership, and it indicates that she has a right in her own marriage, and so does her guardian, but her right is more emphatic. Thus a previously married woman is not compelled on account of the guardian, whereas the guardian is compelled on account of her. So if he refuses, the judge will act as her guardian and conduct the marriage. Therefore this hadith does not contradict “There is no marriage without a guardian.”
Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) has also said the same.
Benefit:
الأيم is, although general in meaning, here refers to a previously married woman, because “al-bikr” is coordinated with “al-ayyim,” and there is a difference between the coordinated term and the term it is coordinated with. This is also supported by the following words in Sahih Muslim (495/1, h: 1421):
الثيب أحق بنفسها من وليها.
A previously married woman has more right over herself than her guardian.
Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
قال العلماء الأيم هنا الثيب.
The scholars have said that here “al-ayyim” means a previously married woman.
Imam Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib and Imam Hasan al-Basri, concerning a woman who has contracted marriage without her guardian’s permission, say: یفرّق بینھما — “a separation is to be made between the two of them.”
Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وبهذا يقول سفيان الثوري و الأوزاعي و مالك و عبدالله ابن المبارك و الشافعي و أحمد و اسحاق.
Imam Sufyan ibn Sa’id al-Thawri, Imam al-Awza’i, Imam Malik, Imam Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, Imam al-Shafi’i, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayh (may Allah have mercy on them) say that marriage does not take place without the permission of the guardian.
Allama Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), regarding the guardian’s permission being a condition in marriage, writes:
فانة دل عليه القرآن فى غير موضع و السنة فى موضع، وهو عادة الصحابة، انما كان يزوج النساء الرجال، لا يعرف أن امرائة تزوج نفسها، و هذا مما يفرق فيه بين النكاح و متخذات أخدان.
The evidence for this is found in the Qur’an and Sunnah on many occasions; it was also the practice of the Companions, that men would marry off women, and it is not known that any woman arranged her own marriage. It is by this that marriage is distinguished from clandestine liaisons.
Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi writes:
ان النكاح لا يصح الا بولي و لا تملك المرأة تزويج نفسها و لا توكيل غير و ليها فى تزويجها، فان فعلت لم يصح النكاح.
A marriage is not permissible without a guardian; a woman can neither contract her own marriage nor that of another woman, nor can she entrust the responsibility of her marriage to anyone other than her guardian. If she does so, the marriage will not be valid.
Shah Waliullah al-Dihlawi al-Hanafi, explaining the wisdom behind making the guardian’s permission a condition of marriage, writes:
The condition of a guardian in marriage raises the status of guardians, and the fact that women are left alone with marriage is a disgrace to them, which arises from lack of modesty, being forward toward men, and their not caring for them. It is also that marriage be distinguished from fornication through publicity, and the thing most deserving of a right in that publicity is the presence of the guardians.
Objection:
ان عائشة روج النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم روجت حفصة بنت عبدالرحمن ، المنذر بن الزبير، وعبدالرحمن غائب بالشام، فلما قدم عبدالرحمن قال: ومثلي يصنع هذا به؟ و مثلي يفتات عليه؟ فكلمت عائشة المنذربن الزبير، فقال المنذر: فان ذالك بعد عبدالرحمن، فقال عبدالرحمن:ما كنت لأرد أمراقضيتنة، فقرت حفصة عند المنذر، ولم يكن ذالك طلاقا.
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) gave Hafsa bint Abd al-Rahman in marriage to al-Mundhir ibn al-Zubayr, while Abd al-Rahman was on a journey to Syria. When he came back, he said: Is such a thing done with a person like me? Is a matter done without consulting a person like me? So Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke to al-Mundhir. Al-Mundhir said: This was after Abd al-Rahman. Abd al-Rahman said: I cannot reject a matter that you have decided. So Hafsa stayed with al-Mundhir, and this was not a divorce.
Answer:
This matter was settled on the opinion of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), so the marriage was attributed to her. The guardian was someone else, since one woman cannot be the guardian of another woman. The report contains not even a hint that this marriage took place without a guardian, as Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
وأجيب بأنه لم يرد فى الخبر التصريح بأنها باشرت العقد، فقد يحتمل أن تكون البنت لمذكورة ثيبا و دعت الي كف وأبوها غائب، فانتقلت الولاية الي الولي الأبعد أوالي السلطان.
The answer to this is that the report does not contain an explicit statement that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) herself performed the contract. It is possible that the girl in question was previously married and was given to a suitable match (kuf’), while her father was absent, so guardianship passed to the more distant guardian or to the ruler.
Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him), after mentioning this report, says:
انما أريد به انها مهدت تزويجها، ثم تولٰي عقد النكاح غيرها، فأضيف التزويج اليها، لأنها فى ذالك و تمهيدها أسبابه، والله أعلم!
This means that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) made the arrangements for the marriage, but she did not become the guardian in the contract. Nevertheless, the marriage was attributed to her, because she took part in arranging it, and arranging a marriage is among its causes (so the attribution was to the one who was the cause).
It is established that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) did nothing contrary to her own narration, والحمد لله!
It should be remembered that wherever the Quran attributes a marriage to a woman, it means a woman who has been married before, not a virgin. Some people needlessly keep creating a conflict between the Quran and hadith.
عبدالرحمن بن أبي الزناد عن أبيه من الفقهاء الذين ينتهي الي قولهم من تابعي أهل المدينة، كانوا يقولون: لا تعقد امرأة عقدة النكاح فى نفسها و لا فى غيرها.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad narrates from his father that the jurists among the Tabi’un whose statements were considered decisive used to say: a woman may not contract a marriage for herself, nor for another woman.
The well-known Tabi’i Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لا تنكح المرأة المرأة.
A woman may not give another woman in marriage.
Benefit: Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin, the Tabi’i (may Allah have mercy on him), used to say:
لا تنكح المرأة نفسها، و كانوا يقولون: ان الزانية هي التى تنكح نفسها.
A woman may not contract her own marriage. They (the Companions and Tabi’un) used to say that a woman who contracts her own marriage is undoubtedly an adulteress.
Objection No. 2:
It is narrated from Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him):
انه أجاز نكاح امرأة بغير ولي، أنكحتها أؐمها برضاها.
He permitted a woman’s marriage without a guardian; her mother had married her off with her consent.
Commentary:
Its chain is in the most severe degree “da’if”, because:
➊ In it is Abu Muawiya al-Darir, who is a mudallis, and he is narrating with “an” (ʿan).
➋ In it is an unidentified and unknown narrator.
➌ It also contradicts the Quran and hadith, and Sayyidina Ali’s own statement.
