❀ Ruling on Marrying Girls to the Qur’an and the Islamic Perspective ❀
Source: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, Page 430
Question
Among some people, there is a practice of keeping their daughters unmarried at home without arranging proper marriages. They say that no one is their equal or suitable match. Because of this belief, instead of marrying their daughters to men, they marry them to the Qur’an and declare: “We have waived off our rights; now no obligation remains upon us.”
Is this practice correct?
✔ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
This practice is completely wrong, contrary to the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and a grave injustice against daughters. Such oppressors will face Allah’s severe punishment. It is a clear imitation of the age of ignorance in Arabia, when people used to say: “We have no equal,” and therefore buried their daughters alive.
Today, people have invented a new form of “burying daughters alive” — keeping them unmarried without Nikāḥ. This is also a severe injustice upon daughters and is equivalent to burying them alive.
◈ Command of Allah ﷻ
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَأَنكِحُوا الْأَيَامَىٰ مِنكُمْ﴾ (النور: 32)
“Marry off those among you who are single, men or women.”
According to this divine command, it is obligatory upon every guardian to arrange the marriage of their daughters (once they reach maturity), whether rich or poor. It is the father’s duty to hand over his daughter to her husband. Whoever disobeys this divine command will be considered a grave sinner in the sight of Allah.
◈ “Waiving Rights” – An Innovation
The statement “We have waived our rights” is a religious innovation (bidʿah) and an addition to the dīn. Astonishingly, even the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not waive his own rights.
◈ Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ
Instead of marrying daughters to the Qur’an, the Prophet ﷺ — despite the fact that none could be his equal — married all four of his daughters, establishing the Sunnah that no daughter who has reached maturity should ever be kept unmarried.
Whoever turns away from this Sunnah or considers his daughters superior to the daughters of the Prophet ﷺ should fear for his faith, because opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ expels one from Islam.
◈ Lessons and Warnings
The evil consequences of this filthy practice are apparent, serving as a lesson for any person of intellect. Whoever wishes to protect himself from such consequences must firmly adhere to the way of the Messenger ﷺ.
Summary
◄ This practice is completely wrong.
◄ It is filthy, un-Islamic, and an injustice.
◄ It opposes the commands of Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ.
◄ Every Muslim must refrain from it.
Hadhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam bis-ṣawāb.
