Fatwa by: Former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Ibn Bāz (رحمه الله)
Question:
I want a solution to my problem. I am 24 years old, and a young man who has completed his university education and belongs to a religious family has proposed to me. My father agreed to this proposal and asked me to meet him in the sitting room. We liked each other because I knew that our pure religion allows us to see each other before marriage. However, when my mother found out that this young man comes from a religious family, she created a huge commotion and swore that this marriage would never take place. My father tried his best to convince her, but to no avail. In these circumstances, do I have the right to demand the intervention of Islamic law in my situation?
Answer:
If what you have described is accurate, then your mother has no right to object in this matter, and it is in fact haram for her to do so. You, dear questioner, are not obligated to obey your mother in this matter because the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Obedience is only in what is good.”
(Muttafaqun ʿalayh)
Rejecting a righteous proposal is not a good deed. It has also been narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“If someone whose religion and character you are pleased with proposes to you, then marry him. If you do not do so, there will be tribulation on earth and widespread corruption.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, ḥasan isnād)
If it becomes necessary to take this matter to the courts, there is no harm in doing so.
And Allah knows best.
Question:
I want a solution to my problem. I am 24 years old, and a young man who has completed his university education and belongs to a religious family has proposed to me. My father agreed to this proposal and asked me to meet him in the sitting room. We liked each other because I knew that our pure religion allows us to see each other before marriage. However, when my mother found out that this young man comes from a religious family, she created a huge commotion and swore that this marriage would never take place. My father tried his best to convince her, but to no avail. In these circumstances, do I have the right to demand the intervention of Islamic law in my situation?
Answer:
If what you have described is accurate, then your mother has no right to object in this matter, and it is in fact haram for her to do so. You, dear questioner, are not obligated to obey your mother in this matter because the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Obedience is only in what is good.”
(Muttafaqun ʿalayh)
Rejecting a righteous proposal is not a good deed. It has also been narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“If someone whose religion and character you are pleased with proposes to you, then marry him. If you do not do so, there will be tribulation on earth and widespread corruption.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, ḥasan isnād)
If it becomes necessary to take this matter to the courts, there is no harm in doing so.
And Allah knows best.
