5 – The ban on proposing after another man has already proposed is an honourable Islamic safeguard against the rise of hostility and rancour among Muslims. Islam promotes harmony and affection and keeps away everything that might breed hatred and enmity between believers.
“Indeed, the believers are but brothers.” (Qur’an 49:10)
“The believer to another believer is like a building.”
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
Such are the manners of Islam, its lofty aims and its wholesome objectives. May Allah make us among those who are adorned with these praiseworthy traits. Āmīn.
Scholarly disagreement
Shaykh al-Islam said: The four imams unanimously hold that it is unlawful to propose over another man’s engagement, but they differed over the validity of the second marriage contract, producing two opinions:
- Imām Mālik considered it invalid, and this is one of the two narrations from Aḥmad.
- The second view is that it is valid; this is the position of the other three imams. All nevertheless agree that anyone who does so is disobedient to Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) and deserves disciplinary punishment.