1ºAbu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no marriage except with a guardian.

The Hadīth indicates that a guardian is considered in a marriage contract, and his presence is a condition for the validity of marriage. Therefore, a marriage is not valid except with the presence of a guardian. It is a condition that the guardian must be a legally responsible person, who must be male, and he must be reasonable so as to know the benefits of marriage. The guardian and the woman under his guardianship must be of the same religion. A person who does not possess these qualities is not qualified to be a guardian in marriage. If a guardian is not available, then the ruler (or his representative) will be the guardian.

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