A Shari’a Court sitting in Kaduna has held that, under Islamic law, a father has the right to choose a husband for his daughter.
This was the ruling of the court in a suit brought by a daughter against her father.
Fatima, a 20 year old lady, had prayed the Court, to stop her father, Aliyu Muhammad from forcing her to marry a stranger. That she has someone she loves.
According to her counsel, Malam Y.A Bulama, “The father wants my client to marry a man in their village in Niger State. Right now she’s living in her aunty’s house because he threatened to take her to the village and marry her off.”
The judge, Malam Isiyaku Abdulrahman, held that a father has the right to choose a husband for his daughter under Shari’a law.
He however noted that forced marriage was not encouraged while advising the defendant to be patient with his daughter.
“You are her father, therefore you should pray for the best for her because if you are angry with her she won’t see good things.
“Allow her to present the person she wants to marry and if you are pleased with his religion and character, you allow her to get married”, he said.
He also advised the complainant to be a respectful daughter.
Shari’a Law; a father has the right to choose a husband for his daughter
