Forced Marriages are not allowed in Islam
Forced marriage is a problem occurring today in many Muslim communities even though the religion of Islam condemns it to the highest degree. The issue of forced marriages is not one that is limited to some Muslims, but Hindus, Sikhs and other religious communities also acknowledge it as a problem.
Forced marriage is a culture problem and not a religious problem.
Islam regards marriage as a right of the individual and therefore others cannot make the decision for them. If a woman/man is forced in marriage then the marriage would not be valid and would therefore need to be cancelled.
The following incident clarifies the position of forced marriages in Islam;
Khansa Bint Khidam said “My father married me to his nephew, and I did not like this match, so I complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said to me “accept what your father has arranged.” I said “I do not wish to accept what my father has arranged.”
He said “then this marriage is invalid, go and marry whomever you wish.” I said “I have accepted what my father has arranged, but I wanted women to know that fathers have no right in their daughter’s matters (i.e. they have no right to force a marriage on them). (Fathul Bari Sharah Al Bukhari 9/194, Ibn Majah Kitabun Nikah 1/602)
At first, the Prophet told Al Khansa to obey her father, and this is as it should be, because the concerns of fathers for the well being of their daughters is well known. But when he realized that her father wanted to force her in to marriage she did not want, he gave her the freedom to choose, and saved her from the oppression of a father who wanted to force her into an unwanted marriage.
Islam teaches that consent from both man and woman is a must before a marriage can take place. The Qur'an states “O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion ...” (4:19).
The Sahih al-Bukhari, one of the most revered sources of hadith, reports the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as saying: "The widow and the divorced woman shall not be married until her order is obtained, and the virgin girl shall not be married until her permission is obtained." (Bukhari, 67:42).
Another hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari states: "When a man gives his daughter in marriage and she dislikes it, the marriage shall be repudiated" (Bukhari, 67:43).
There are further hadiths that provide examples of the Prophet Muhammad cancelling such marriages in which the daughter's consent was not sought.
Both the Quran and hadiths are clear and unequivocal about the issue of forced marriage therefore it is not an issue of religion, but a cultural practice that violates your right as a woman and as a Muslim.
The act of forcing someone to marry is in fact an act that is against the practices and teachings of Islam.
Forced marriage is a problem occurring today in many Muslim communities even though the religion of Islam condemns it to the highest degree. The issue of forced marriages is not one that is limited to some Muslims, but Hindus, Sikhs and other religious communities also acknowledge it as a problem.
Forced marriage is a culture problem and not a religious problem.
Islam regards marriage as a right of the individual and therefore others cannot make the decision for them. If a woman/man is forced in marriage then the marriage would not be valid and would therefore need to be cancelled.
The following incident clarifies the position of forced marriages in Islam;
Khansa Bint Khidam said “My father married me to his nephew, and I did not like this match, so I complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said to me “accept what your father has arranged.” I said “I do not wish to accept what my father has arranged.”
He said “then this marriage is invalid, go and marry whomever you wish.” I said “I have accepted what my father has arranged, but I wanted women to know that fathers have no right in their daughter’s matters (i.e. they have no right to force a marriage on them). (Fathul Bari Sharah Al Bukhari 9/194, Ibn Majah Kitabun Nikah 1/602)
At first, the Prophet told Al Khansa to obey her father, and this is as it should be, because the concerns of fathers for the well being of their daughters is well known. But when he realized that her father wanted to force her in to marriage she did not want, he gave her the freedom to choose, and saved her from the oppression of a father who wanted to force her into an unwanted marriage.
Islam teaches that consent from both man and woman is a must before a marriage can take place. The Qur'an states “O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion ...” (4:19).
The Sahih al-Bukhari, one of the most revered sources of hadith, reports the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as saying: "The widow and the divorced woman shall not be married until her order is obtained, and the virgin girl shall not be married until her permission is obtained." (Bukhari, 67:42).
Another hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari states: "When a man gives his daughter in marriage and she dislikes it, the marriage shall be repudiated" (Bukhari, 67:43).
There are further hadiths that provide examples of the Prophet Muhammad cancelling such marriages in which the daughter's consent was not sought.
Both the Quran and hadiths are clear and unequivocal about the issue of forced marriage therefore it is not an issue of religion, but a cultural practice that violates your right as a woman and as a Muslim.
The act of forcing someone to marry is in fact an act that is against the practices and teachings of Islam.
Forced marriage: ‘I broke the chain. I’m proud of that’
At 14, Jasvinder Sanghera ran away from home rather than suffer a forced marriage. She was determined her own children would be free to choose for themselves
“Being Asian is all about family: our traditions, our culture, everything is rooted in family life. So to walk out on your family is a very, very tough thing to do – and if I’m honest I probably didn’t realise all those years ago how hard it would be. But I survived – I’m living proof that you can survive.”
Click here t0 read the full article
At 14, Jasvinder Sanghera ran away from home rather than suffer a forced marriage. She was determined her own children would be free to choose for themselves
“Being Asian is all about family: our traditions, our culture, everything is rooted in family life. So to walk out on your family is a very, very tough thing to do – and if I’m honest I probably didn’t realise all those years ago how hard it would be. But I survived – I’m living proof that you can survive.”
Click here t0 read the full article