The fourth is guardianship by the ruler. The fifth is guardianship arising from custody. According to Ibn al-Qāsim, if someone holding specific guardianship contracts a marriage while another guardian with a stronger claim is present, the marriage takes effect and is not annulled, except in cases involving a father’s virgin daughter or a testamentary guardian’s virgin orphan ward. It has also been said that, according to his position in al-Mudawwana, a more distant guardian may contract the marriage from the outset even when the nearer guardian is present. If someone holding general guardianship contracts the marriage, whether or not a specific guardian exists, it is valid for a woman of low social standing. For a woman of high social standing, however, it is annulled if her guardian so wishes, unless a considerable time has elapsed after consummation. In that case, according to Ibn al-Qāsim, it is upheld out of regard for the difference of opinion, since the contract was nevertheless concluded by a guardian. Interpretations differ concerning some of these cases in al-Mudawwana. Success comes only through Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
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A guardian must meet eight conditions. Six are agreed to be necessary for the validity of his guardianship: puberty, sanity, freedom, Islam, being male, and being in control of his own affairs. The remaining two are disputed: dāla and sound judgment. Success comes only through Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
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A guardian may not give a woman under his guardianship in marriage without first obtaining her permission. If she authorizes him to marry her off, and he does so without having named the husband to her, she may reject or ratify the marriage, provided that a considerable time has not elapsed. Another view holds that the marriage is binding upon her.
This latter view underlies the ruling concerning a woman who authorizes two guardians to marry her off, each of whom then marries her to a different man, without it being known which marriage took place first. For it was not said that she could ratify whichever marriage she wished and reject the other, as would follow by analogy with the first view. The case may also be understood as one in which each guardian had named to her the man whom she authorized him to marry her to. On that interpretation, the ruling is sound according to both views.
The matter must then be discovered either before or after consummation. If it is discovered before consummation and the first husband is known, the marriage belongs to him, and the second marriage is annulled without divorce. If it is not known which of the two was first, both marriages are dissolved by divorce. If either man subsequently marries her after an intervening marriage, he has two divorces remaining. If either marries her without an intervening marriage, he has three divorces remaining. For if he was the first husband, his marrying her merely renews his original marriage, and that entails no divorce against him. If he was the second, no divorce was binding upon him, since no valid marriage had been contracted for him. And there is counted