Islamic Fiqh > Marriage and family > Wilaya and kafa'a
Marital guardianship: its 5 causes by priority order, the mature woman, and kafa'a (equivalence) per the schools.
Contents
Updated on 06 October 2026 at 10:50 PM
Kafaa (spousal equivalence) from A to Z: its status, criteria (religion, lineage, craft, wealth, freedom), its consequences and disagreement cases.
The agnates in order (son, brother, uncle), then judge or authority: 'the sovereign is the wali of whoever has no wali' (Abu Dawud 2083).
Yes for a real religious cause (invalid or gravely harmful marriage); capricious refusal is settled by the judge in the bride's favor.
No: a condition of the marriage's preservation, not of validity, in the 4 schools; upon a notable mismatch, the wife (or her wali) may seek dissolution, a right waivable by consent.