Giving Children in Marriage and Arranging Marriage for Them

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who arranges marriage for his son who is small. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’ I asked if divorce is permissible. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not permissible.’ I asked, ‘Who must pay mahr (dower)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The father must pay mahr (dower) if he has taken responsibility for it; but if he has not taken the responsibility on himself then the boy must pay unless the boy has no assets, then still he is responsible even if he has not taken the responsibility.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘If a man arranges marriage for his son it is up to him but if he gives his daughter in marriage it is binding.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who arranges marriage for his son who is small. He (the Imam) said, ‘If his son has any assets mahr (dower) is on him but if the son does not have any asset then the father is responsible for mahr (dower) whether he accepts such responsibility or not.’”

“I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about the case of a man who had sons and he arranged marriage for two of them and assigned mahr (dower) then he died; who was to pay mahr (dower); was it to be from all of the legacy or from the share of the two sons. He (the Imam) said in such case, ‘It is from the whole of the legacy because it is like debts.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a boy and a girl for whom marriage is arranged by their guardians and they are not mature yet. He (the Imam) said, ‘Marriage is binding and whichever becomes mature has a choice but if they die before maturity there will be no inheritance between them and no mahr (dower) unless they become mature and agree with the marriage.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if one of them becomes mature before the other?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It becomes binding on him if he agrees.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if he becomes mature before the girl and agrees with the marriage, then he dies before the girl becomes mature; if she can inherit him.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, her share of inheritance is kept aside until she becomes mature, then she is made to take an oath that nothing has made her to claim the inheritance except her agreement with the marriage, then it is given to her as well as one-half of the mahr (dower).’ I then asked, ‘What happens if the girl dies before becoming mature and if the husband who has become mature can inherit her.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, because she had the choice upon her becoming mature.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if her father is the one who gives her in marriage before her becoming mature?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Marriage which is arranged for her by her father becomes binding on her and on the boy and mahr (dower) is on the father in favor of the girl.”’