Assalamu alaikum. I have a question about child marriage. I read that the parents of a child can marry him/her without taking his/her permission, which does not matter because the child is not mature enough to take such decisions. Now, say a boy was married when he was a child (that is, he had not reached puberty). His wife, for the sake of the question, could be either a child, or an adult woman. And then before the boy becomes adult himself, the wife dies. And when the boy grows up and learns the meaning and seriousness of marriage, and how divine the bond is, he refuses to be in that bond with the girl that he was married to. But now as the wife is dead, he cannot divorce her. So what can he do now? Is he bound to be with her in Jannah even though he never approved of that marriage? I know Allah's laws are always fair. But how is it fair that someone's parents get to decide his eternal companion in Jannah without him having any opinion in it? Isn't it the exact reason why forced marriages are totally haram? I know everyone in Jannah will be perfect, but I hope you understand that is not the point here. Why should one be forced to be with someone he never wanted to be with, regardless of how flawless and perfect she is? If that was the case, then wouldn't forced marriages be also permissible? Is there any way that man can break the marriage now? I am really troubled by this question and I would greatly appreciate your answer. Jazakallahu khair.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

The marriage bond automatically breaks by the death of either spouse; so, when the wife passes away, the husband does not need to divorce her. This is why scholars stated that divorce does not take effect if the husband made his wife’s death a condition for divorce, saying to her, “You are divorced if you die.”

If the husband is admitted to Paradise and his wife is pious and religiously committed, she will be his wife in Paradise as well. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Enter Paradise, you and your wives, delighted.} [Quran 43:70]

Life in Paradise is entirely different from life on earth; it should not be judged by the same “worldly” standards. If we assumed that the husband was not content with his wife in the worldly life, this does not necessarily mean that he will not be content with her as his wife in Paradise. On the contrary, it has been authentically reported that a man’s wife in the worldly life will be more beloved to him than his wives from the Hooris (maidens of Paradise). This matter has been clearly established in the Sharee'ah and there is no real benefit in thinking of it any further. A Muslim should devote his time and effort to important issues and things requiring actions.

We have previously clarified the religious ruling on marrying off one’s young daughter without her permission in Fatwa 83088. In any case, this is not a problematic issue. The Muslim scholars who held that the father is entitled to force his young daughter into a marriage did not give that opinion arbitrarily. They relied on the fact that the father’s compassion and love for his daughter entail serving her best interests. On the other hand, some jurists maintained that the young girl is given the choice either to approve such a marriage or request marriage annulment when she reaches puberty.