Her parents won't approve marriage to French Muslim
Fatwa No: 83445

Question

A sister and I want to married. I'm French and I became Muslim 6 years ago. I met her last year at the University. We did each other the consultation's prayer and it showed us good signs. She asked to her parents and because I'm French they didn't approve. It's difficult here to meet the good person and it's sad because it's based on a non-Islamic decision. I respect her parents and her too. We know they haven't got a lot of instruction and they are illiterates and we think this is the cause of the problem.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The basis of suitability in Islam is only the religion and the good character. Allah Says (what means): {Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun]…} [Quran 49:13]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “There is no preference of an Arab over a non-Arab or a non-Arab over an Arab or a white over a black or a black over a white except by the (degree) of piety, you are all sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust”. [Ahmad]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said: “If a man whose religion and moral conduct are pleasing to you purposes to you, then let him marry; otherwise there will be great mischief and corruption on earth.” Therefore, a Muslim girl cannot be prevented from marrying a good person only on the basis that the proposed person is from a different country or belongs to a different tribe. If a guardian of a girl insists on not marrying her only for the above mentioned reasons and does not accept any advice, in this case, the girl is liable to plead against her guardian in an Islamic court if it is available. Otherwise, she may bring her case to the Muslim authorities in her place who will force him to marry her off or they themselves will marry her off to a suitable person. Imam Ibn Qudamah wrote is his known book named “Al-Mughni” that ‘according to our knowledge no one from the Muslim scholars differed about the ruling that the Muslim ruler is liable to marry a woman when she does not have any guardian prevent her guardians prevents her from marrying without any legal reason’.

Allah knows best.

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