Forced Marriages in Islam - NikahExplorer
More often than not we pick up things from different religions and customs and adopt them as our own. Islam is a perfect religion and the Quran is the perfect word of Allah yet we seem to go elsewhere to find the answers to our problems. One of these issues is that of forced marriages which we have picked up from society, not knowing how strictly forbidden in it is Islam to marry forcefully.
In other religions and cultures, a girl born in the household was considered a curse but in Islam, a girl born is considered a blessing. This is one of the cultures we picked, where we learned that a girl was born as a curse and hence a burden and should be disposed of immediately. If she was lucky enough not to be killed by kaafirs, she was raised to be married as soon as she could. That led to the custom of forced marriages which many Muslims even today are guilty of following.
The right to be able to judge and decide the person you will spend the rest of your life with is a privilege given to all Muslims, men and women. Men are asked to marry a woman for 4 qualities, her wealth, beauty, religion and faith. They are to see if she will be a great companion before they marry and if she will be able to raise his family. Men are even allowed to see the girl before marriage in the presence of the girl’s family member. In the same way, the woman has full right to see the man she will live with and if she has reservations about him, then she CANNOT be forced to marry him.
Many times parents forcefully marry their children to the person they wish for them because of property and status. Their reasoning is that things will get better once married. However, this hardly happens and the children become victims of abuse and torture for years. That is why Islam prohibits forced marriages.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) absolutely forbid forced marriages and even went as far as to declare them as annulled if they were carried out. Once a girl came to the Holy Prophet and told him that she had been married forcefully to a man, who she did not like, by her father. The Holy Prophet said that her marriage was not carried out and that she was free to go her own way. THAT is how important the wishes of the person being married are. May Allah keep us all safe from forcefully having to live such a beautiful relationship.