Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/62)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

It is understood from the author’s words, “and his appointed guardian,” that guardianship in marriage may be acquired through a testamentary appointment. That is, if a man directs in his will that someone is to arrange the marriages of the women under his guardianship after his death, his appointed guardian takes his place. This is the well-known position in the school of Imam Ahmad.

Thus, when the father dies, the guardian after him is the paternal uncle or the brother, if he is an adult. But if the father appoints someone to arrange her marriage, then it is the appointed guardian, rather than the brother, who marries her off. This is what we mean when we say that guardianship in marriage may be acquired through a testamentary appointment. They justified this by saying that the father has compassion and far-reaching judgment regarding his daughters. He may consider the other guardians unfit, or may not trust them, and therefore appoint someone else.

The correct view, however, is that it cannot be acquired through a testamentary appointment, and that it lapses with the death of its holder. When the father dies, he has no right to appoint someone by will to arrange a marriage. Indeed, such a testamentary appointment is invalid from the outset, because guardianship in marriage is a legal guardianship established by the Sacred Law. If we were to hold that guardianship can be acquired through a testamentary appointment, we would be disregarding what the Sacred Law has prescribed. Just as a father cannot appoint his executor by will to inherit from his son, likewise he cannot appoint his executor by will to marry off his daughter.

For example, if a man said, “I bequeath my daughter’s share to be owned by so-and-so,” and then the father died and subsequently the daughter died, would the executor inherit from her? He would not inherit from her, because he does not acquire ownership through a testamentary appointment. Likewise, guardianship is not acquired through such an appointment. Therefore, if the father dies after making this appointment, it is rendered void. This is the correct view, because guardianship is received from the Sacred Law. Yes, he may appoint an agent while he is alive; but after his death, his guardianship dies with him.

His words, “like the master with his female slaves”: the master is the owner of the slave. This is why he says:

وعلم من قول المؤلف: «ووصيه»، أن ولاية النكاح تستفاد بالوصية، أي: أن من أوصى أن يزوجوا مولياته بعد موته، فإن وصيه يقوم مقامه، وهذا هو المشهور من مذهب الإمام أحمد. فالأب إذا مات يكون الولي بعده العم أو الأخ إن كان كبيراً، فإذا أوصى الأب إلى أحدٍ يزوجها صار الذي يزوجها الوصي دون الأخ، هذا معنى قولنا: إن ولاية النكاح تستفاد بالوصية، وعللوا ذلك بأن الأب له شفقة، وله نظر بعيد بالنسبة للبنات، فقد يرى أن الأولياء ليسوا أهلاً ولا ثقة عنده بهم فيوصي إلى شخص آخر. والصحيح أنها لا تستفاد بالوصية، وأنها تسقط بموت صاحبها، فإذا مات الأب فإنه لا حق له في الوصية بالتزويج، بل إن الوصية في الأصل لم تنعقد؛ لأن ولاية النكاح ولاية شرعية تستفاد من الشرع، ونحن إذا قلنا باستفادة الولاية بالوصية ألغينا ما اعتبره الشرع، فكما أن الأب لا يوصي بأن يرث ابنَه وصيُه، فكذلك لا يوصي بأن يزوج بنتَه وصيُه. فلو أن إنساناً قال: أوصيت بنصيب بنتي أن يملكه فلان، ومات الأب ثم ماتت البنت، فهل يرثها الوصي؟ لا يرثها؛ لأنه لا يملك بالوصاية، كذلك الولاية لا تملك بالوصاية، فإذا مات الأب وقد أوصى بطلت الوصية، وهذا هو القول الصحيح؛ لأن الولاية متلقاة من الشرع، نعم له أن يوكل ما دام حياً، أما بعد الموت فولايته ماتت بموته. قوله: «كالسيد مع إمائه» السيد مالك العبد؛ ولهذا قال: