Guardianship in Marriage — Do Not Prevent Them from Marrying
fiqh
Level: intermediate
family
fqh-082
فَلَا تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحۡنَ أَزۡوَٰجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَٰضَوۡاْ بَيۡنَهُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ
— البقرة 232
Verse: "When you divorce women and they complete their waiting period — do not prevent them from marrying their husbands when they have agreed among themselves with kindness." (2:232)
Reason for revelation: Ma'qil ibn Yasar prevented his sister from returning to her husband after her waiting period — this verse was revealed about him; he said: "I hear and obey, my Lord" and relented (Al-Bukhari 5130).
Adl (preventing marriage): Blocking a woman from marrying her choice without legal justification — explicitly forbidden.
Balance: Guardianship is protection, not control — it is forfeited by preventing (adl).
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari (5130); Al-Qurtubi (3/155); Al-Mughni (9/368)
Question: What is adl (preventing marriage) and what is its effect on guardianship?
Answer: Adl: blocking a woman from marrying her choice without legal justification — forbidden. Effect: the preventing guardian loses his guardianship, which passes to the next in line or to the judge.