And Marry the Unmarried Among You — The Guardianship of Marriage
fiqh
Level: intermediate
family
fqh-039
وَأَنكِحُواْ ٱلۡأَيَٰمَىٰ مِنكُمۡ
— النور 32
Verse: "And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male and female slaves." (24:32)
Command to marry off the unmarried: "Marry" is a command to guardians — guardianship is a responsibility not control. The guardian is entrusted to complete marriages, not obstruct them.
Guardian's obstruction: "Do not prevent them" (2:232) — if a guardian refuses to marry her to a suitable match without reason, guardianship passes to the judge.
Lesson: Poverty doesn't obstruct marriage — "Allah will enrich them from His bounty."
Source: Al-Qurtubi (12/239); Ibn Qudama (7/8); Al-Jassas
Question: What is the ruling if a guardian prevents a woman from marrying a suitable match without legal reason?
Answer: Guardianship transfers to the judge — the judge marries her off in place of the obstructing guardian who betrayed his trust.