What Can I Do to Marry a Woman When Our Parents Are Strongly Against It?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam.
Question: I am in love with this girl and we had a relationship before marriage. Recently, we both got caught. The both of us want to get married to each other but our parents disagree.
Are there any duas to get married to a specific woman? I know that I do not need to gain consent from my father but she has to which is unfortunate for me.
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
No, this is incorrect. You, too, need parental approval and you could be sinful for not obtaining it.
If you are serious about marriage, know what it entails, are able to support a wife and fulfil her rights, are compatible with her, and have parental consent, consider getting a scholar involved in order to assist you.
In the meantime, pray the Prayer of Need (salat al-hajah) [see: How Does One Perform The Prayer Of Need (salat al-haja)?], learn and wholeheartedly apply the Shari`ah in your life, and learn what it means to be a man and a husband.
See also: A Reader on Tawba (Repentance) and: Supplicating So Parents Accept My Choice for Marriage and: A Reader on Patience and Reliance on Allah and: Struggling to Have Children: Ten Key Etiquettes of Du’a
I’d advise taking:
The Rights of Parents and Islamic Marriage: Guidance for Successful Marriage and Married Life
And Allah alone gives success.
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.