Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/69)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Section

Third: The Guardian, ………

His statement, “Third: the guardian,” means that the third of the conditions of marriage is the guardian; that is, a marriage contract is not validly concluded except through a guardian. The evidence for this is found in the Quran, the sunnah, and sound reasoning.

As for the Quran, Allah the Exalted says:

“Do not marry off idolatrous men until they believe.” [al-Baqarah 2:220]

And He says:

“Marry off those among you who are unmarried.” [al-Nur 24:32]

The verb “marry off” is transitive: it takes another person as its object. The address is directed to the guardians, which shows that marriage is referred back to them; this is why they are addressed with this command. Thus, it proves that a woman cannot marry herself off; rather, someone else must marry her off.

Allah the Exalted also says:

“Do not prevent them from marrying their former husbands when they have agreed between themselves in a lawful manner.” [al-Baqarah 2:232]

“Do not prevent them” means: do not prevent them from marrying their husbands when they have mutually agreed in a lawful manner. The point of evidence in the verse is that, if a guardian were not a condition of marriage, his preventing her would have no effect.

In Allah’s statement, “Do not prevent them from marrying their former husbands,” there is evidence that there is no difference, regarding the requirement of a guardian, between a previously married woman and a virgin. For His statement, “from marrying their former husbands,” indicates that they had been married before. Thus, we say: the verse explicitly establishes that a guardian is a condition of marriage, whether the woman is a virgin or has been previously married.

As for the sunnah, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “There is no marriage except with a guardian” (1). The word “no” is a negative particle

(1) Reported by Ahmad (4:394); Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Nikah (Marriage), chapter: “Concerning the Guardian” (2085); al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Nikah, chapter: “What Has Been Related Regarding: There Is No Marriage Except with a Guardian” (1101); and Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Nikah, chapter: “There Is No Marriage Except with a Guardian” (1881), on the authority of Abu Musa. It was authenticated in al-Irwa' (1839).

فَصْلٌ الثَّالِثُ: الوَلِيُّ، .......... قوله: «الثالث: الولي»، أي: الثالث من شروط النكاح الولي، يعني أن النكاح لا ينعقد إلا بولي، والدليل على ذلك القرآن والسنة، والنظر الصحيح. أما القرآن فقوله تعالى: ﴿وَلَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُوا﴾، [البقرة: ٢٢٠]، وقوله: ﴿وَأَنْكِحُوا الأَيَامَى مِنْكُمْ﴾ [النور: ٣٢]. «وأنكح» فعل متعدٍ يتعدى إلى الغير، والخطاب للأولياء فدل هذا على أن النكاح راجع إليهم، ولذلك خوطبوا به، فيكون هذا دليلاً على أن المرأة لا يمكن أن تزوج نفسها، بل لا بد من أن ينكحها غيرها، وقوله تعالى: ﴿فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَنْ يَنْكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٣٢]، ﴿فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ﴾ أي: لا تمنعوهن أن ينكحن أزواجهن إذا تراضوا بينهم بالمعروف، ووجه الدلالة من الآية أنه لو لم يكن الولي شرطاً لكان عضله لا أثر له. وفي قوله تعالى: ﴿فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَنْ يَنْكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ﴾ دليل على أنه لا فرق في اشتراط الولي بين الثيب والبكر؛ لأن قوله: ﴿أَنْ يَنْكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ﴾ دليل على أنهن قد تزوجن من قبل، وعلى هذا فنقول: إن الآية دلالتها صريحة على أن الولي شرط في النكاح، سواء في البكر أو في الثيب. أما السنة فقوله ﷺ: «لا نكاح إلا بولي» (١)، و «لا» نافية

(١) أخرجه أحمد (٤/ ٣٩٤)؛ وأبو داود في النكاح/ باب في الولي (٢٠٨٥)؛ والترمذي في النكاح/ باب ما جاء لا نكاح إلا بولي (١١٠١)؛ وابن ماجه في النكاح/ باب لا نكاح إلا بولي (١٨٨١) عن أبي موسى ﵁، وصححه في الإرواء (١٨٣٩).