Hadith on Nikah: No forced marriages in Islam

Aisha reported: A young woman entered her home and she said, “My father married me off to his brother’s son to raise his status, but I was unwilling.” Aisha said, “Sit here until the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, comes.” The Messenger of Allah came and she told him about it, so he sent for her father, who gave her the decision. She said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have allowed what my father did, but I rejected it so I could know if women have any say in the matter.”

Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 3269

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “As for marrying her off despite her unwillingness, this contradicts fundamental principles and sound reasoning. Allah did not allow her guardian to force her into buying or renting unless she consents, nor to eat, drink, or wear something she does not want. How can he force her to be intimate and interact with a man she does not want to be intimate with? Or to live with a man she does not want to live with? Allah has placed love and mercy between spouses. If a marriage cannot be contracted unless she hates him and he is repulsive to her, then where is the love and mercy in that?”

Source: Majmū’ al-Fatāwá 32/25

عَنْ ‌عَائِشَةَ أَنَّ فَتَاةً دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِي زَوَّجَنِي ابْنَ أَخِيهِ لِيَرْفَعَ بِي خَسِيسَتَهُ وَأَنَا كَارِهَةٌ قَالَتِ اجْلِسِي حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَخْبَرَتْهُ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَبِيهَا فَدَعَاهُ فَجَعَلَ الْأَمْرَ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، قَدْ أَجَزْتُ مَا صَنَعَ أَبِي وَلَكِنْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَعْلَمَ أَلِلنِّسَاءِ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ

3269 سنن النسائي كتاب النكاح البكر يزوجها أبوها وهي كارهة

5/87 المحدث شعيب الأرناؤوط خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في تخريج زاد المعاد

قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية وَأَمَّا تَزْوِيجُهَا مَعَ كَرَاهَتِهَا لِلنِّكَاحِ فَهَذَا مُخَالِفٌ لِلْأُصُولِ وَالْعُقُولِ وَاَللَّهُ لَمْ يُسَوِّغْ لِوَلِيِّهَا أَنْ يُكْرِهَهَا عَلَى بَيْعٍ أَوْ إجَارَةٍ إلَّا بِإِذْنِهَا وَلَا عَلَى طَعَامٍ أَوْ شَرَابٍ أَوْ لِبَاسٍ لَا تُرِيدُهُ فَكَيْفَ يُكْرِهُهَا عَلَى مُبَاضَعَةِ وَمُعَاشَرَةِ مَنْ تَكْرَهُ مُبَاضَعَتَهُ وَمُعَاشَرَةَ مَنْ تَكْرَهُ مُعَاشَرَتَهُ وَاَللَّهُ قَدْ جَعَلَ بَيْنَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً فَإِذَا كَانَ لَا يَحْصُلُ إلَّا مَعَ بُغْضِهَا لَهُ وَنُفُورِهَا عَنْهُ فَأَيُّ مَوَدَّةٍ وَرَحْمَةٍ فِي ذَلِكَ

32/25 مجموع الفتاوى باب أركان النكاح وشروطه سئل عن إجبار الأب لابنته البكر البالغ على النكاح هل يجوز

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Abu Amina Elias
Abu Amina Elias (Justin Parrott) is an academic librarian, researcher, and translator specializing in the Quran, Hadith, and their commentaries. He is a former instructor of Islamic Creed for Mishkah University.
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