Answer
Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
You can marry the man you want as long he is a good practicing Muslim. However, you are highly advised not to break your relation with your parents. Rather, you should try to convince them with your need for marriage.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
You are allowed to marry anyone you choose as long as the person is compatible. The criterion for choosing a marriage partner in Islam is sound faith and character.
Therefore, if you find someone that fits this criterion, you are allowed to marry him even if your father does not give you consent. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A woman who is married and divorced or widowed has a greater right to decide for herself than her guardian.” (An-Nasa’’i)
However, I would still advise you not to break up with your parents on this issue. You should do your best to make them understand your position and your need to get married.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.