—whether by her father or anyone else—according to the consensus of the Muslims. Likewise, by the consensus of the Muslims, no one other than her father or grandfather may marry off an adult virgin without her permission. As for her father and grandfather, they should seek her permission. The scholars differed over whether seeking her permission is obligatory or recommended. The correct view is that it is obligatory.

A woman’s guardian must fear Allah concerning the man to whom he marries her and consider whether he is a suitable match. He arranges her marriage for her benefit, not his own. He may not marry her to a husband with shortcomings to serve some purpose of his own: for example, marrying a woman under that husband’s guardianship in exchange for her. This would be a form of the exchange marriage prohibited by the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Nor may he marry her into a group with whom he seeks an alliance for his own corrupt purposes, or marry her to a man in return for money paid to him when another suitor would be better for her, thus preferring the suitor who bribed him over the suitable suitor who did not—and al-Āmidī.

The underlying principle is that a guardian’s authority over his ward’s marriage is like his authority over her property: just as he may administer her property only in her best interests, he may arrange her marriage only in her best interests. A father, however, has greater latitude in using his child’s property than anyone else, as the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“You and your wealth belong to your father.”

This does not apply to anyone other than the father.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

Regarding a woman whose permission for marriage is required under Islamic law: must witnesses attest that she has given her guardian permission, or not? And if the guardian says, “She has authorized me to marry her to this