Question: What
does Islam say about forced marriages? My parents want to marry me to a
person I do not like and I also do not want to do anything un-Islamic.
Personally, I mean, it’s my life and I will be held responsible for what
I do, so why are they forcing me to do something I don’t want to do? What
should I do?
Answer: Forced marriages are
not acceptable to Islam. Parents are required to play a very active role
when it comes to making decisions about their children’s marriage, but
the final consent lies with the ones who are expected to sign this social
contract. If that right is not upheld, obviously, many problems will result.
Our religion, on the other hand, places great emphasis on the sanctity
of a healthy household and a loving family, for they are the backbone of
an ideal Islamic society.
One will find numerous Ahadith
relating to the woman’s consent in marriage. Of course, that is because
society, over the years, has mostly kept women in repression and not men.
Thus, if intelligibly considered, such Ahadith serve to highlight
the importance of consent on the part of both the man and the woman. For
example:
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that a girl came to
the Messenger of Allah and she reported that her father had forced her
to marry without her consent. The Messenger of God gave her the choice...
between accepting the marriage or invalidating it. (Musnad Ahmad, No: 2469)
Another observer narrates the same report,
but adds:
The girl said: ‘Actually, I accept this marriage,
but I wanted to let women know that parents have no right to force a husband
on them’. (Ibn Majah, No: 1873)
(Saadia Malik)
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