Dar Al-Ifta: Forcing a Girl to Marry Is Forbidden — The Woman Has the Final Say
Dr. Ali Fakhr from Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta affirmed that no sin falls on a girl who refuses a marriage proposal, as Islam gives her the full right to choose her husband and forbids any form of coercion.
Dr. Ali Fakhr, Secretary of Fatwa at Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta, stated that forcing a girl to marry someone she does not want is prohibited in Islam. He emphasized that consent is a key condition for a valid marriage, and a woman has the right to accept or refuse any suitor.
The clarification came after a young woman asked if she was sinful for rejecting a proposal that angered her brother. Dr. Fakhr responded that there is no sin in such a decision, as marriage must be built on mutual agreement and emotional acceptance, not compulsion.
He explained that family advice is permissible when offered sincerely, but it must never cross into coercion, warning that forced marriages often lead to marital discord or divorce.
Meanwhile, Al-Azhar’s Global Fatwa Center elaborated on the rules of conditions in marriage contracts, noting that valid conditions are those consistent with the essence of marriage — such as stipulating that a wife not be moved from her home. Invalid conditions, like waiving dowry or maintenance, do not nullify the contract but have no effect.
However, contracts containing time-limited conditions, such as "experimental marriages," are completely void, as they resemble temporary unions (mut‘ah) prohibited in Islam. The Center affirmed that Islamic marriage is intended to be permanent and based on mutual respect and responsibility.
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