Consulting the Woman in Arranging Her Marriage
A woman for whom a marriage is proposed falls into one of three situations: she may be (1) a minor virgin, (2) an adult virgin, or (3) a previously married woman. Each category has its own ruling.
- The minor virgin: There is no dispute that her father may contract her marriage without her permission, for she is not yet qualified to give valid consent. Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) married his daughter ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when she was six years old, and she entered his household when she was nine. (1)
Imam al-Shawkānī said in Nayl al-Aṭār (6/128–129): “This ḥadīth shows that a father is allowed to marry off his daughter before she reaches puberty.” He further stated: “It also indicates that it is permissible to marry a young girl to an older man. Al-Bukhārī entitled a chapter to this point, cited the ḥadīth of ʿĀʾishah, and in Fatḥ al-Bārī transmitted scholarly consensus on the matter.” End quote.
It is likewise mentioned in al-Mughnī (6/487): Ibn al-Munḏir said, “All of the scholars whose views we know agree that it is permissible for a father to arrange the marriage of his young daughter, provided he gives her to a suitable match.” End quote.
I say: and in Abu Bakr’s marrying ʿĀʾishah