Rejecting a Proposal from a Diabetic

According to medical sources, the matrimonial relationship can go quite normally with a diabetic partner. Diabetes is not an infectious disease, nor is it a disgusting one. Accordingly, the parents in question have no acceptable reason to refuse the diabetic man’s proposal to their daughter. So long as he is honest, committed, and of good morals, and the daughter agrees to marry him, they have no right to reject his proposal. If they insist on their refusal (in spite of the daughter’s endeavors to convince them of the marriage), the daughter is allowed to seek other channels of authority to intervene in such a case. The concerned authority is supposed to get the parental consent to the marriage, but should they insist on their stand, the authority is sanctioned to authorize the marriage.

The eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Abdel-Fattah Idrees, Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, states: “Diseases are tests from Almighty Allah. It is not man’s fault to have a disease, so diseases per se are not to be regarded as a cause for refusing marriage from someone.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If a person of acceptable religion and character presents himself for marriage, marry him, otherwise, there would be widespread sedition and rampant corruption in the land.”
There is no mention in the hadith of a man’s having to be of good health, so his proposal of marriage cannot be refused. According to this hadith, only the criterion of good morals and commitment in religion is to be taken into account in considering marriage. If a young woman has chosen to marry a person according to this consideration, her parents have no right to prevent her from marrying him.
If the parents insist on their stance in this case, the young woman can seek other channels of authority to authorize her marriage. The father in this case will miss his right of guardianship to conduct the marriage, and the concerned authority will be considered as the bride’s guardian.”