Title: Narratives regarding the Equality of the Partners in Marriage Question: In our society cast is very important. Peoples are proude of thier casts. In marriage proposals cast is a heavy stone which can not be moved away and creates problems especially for those who don`t have proposals in their own casts. I want to know the Islamic point of view in this case. What is the meaning of "Kufv" and how much important it is while deciding marriages. Are their any Hadith regarding "Kufv" Muhammad Tahir Germany Answer: The Shari'ah has not set the condition Kafa`ah for marriage. The Holy Qur'an has clearly mentioned the relations with which one cannot enter the fold of marriage. The concept of Kufv in cast is absolutely in contrast with the principles of human equality prompted by the Shari'ah . The related narratives ascribed to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) are generally not considered very reliable both in transmission and purport. Scholars of the science of Hadith , after analyzing these reports generally consider them to be weak with respect to transmission and baseless with respect to their contents. Nevertheless, if these narratives are seen from the perspective of social and financial equality of the potential partners in marriage, the directive entailed in them would become more acceptable. It is clear that to make the union of the new family more effective and strong we need to consider the background of both the partners. It would be prudent to consider the financial and social status of both the parties. If you marry a learned and well-off woman to an underprivileged or uneducated person or vice versa, it would be difficult for the couple to maintain the strong ties the contact demands. Therefore such kind of Kafa`ah is generally considered and rightly so to make the union more effective. As for the meaning of the word "kufv" , it refers to someone who is equal in status. I hope this helps. Tariq Mahmood Hashmi November 28, 2002