لمّا كان الأبُ رأسَ الأسرة وقائدَها وولِيَّها، فمِن الضروري أن تنتقلَ إليه الولايةُ عليها، ولذلك فهو الوليُّ على الأولاد. وله الولايةُ على أولاده القاصرين، وعلى الأولاد البالغين غيرِ المكلَّفين، ذكورًا كانوا أو إناثًا، في أنفسهم وأموالهم، حتى وإن كان الأولادُ القاصرون في حضانة الأمّ أو أقاربها.

Since the father is the head of the family and He is its leader and guardian, then it is inevitable that the guardianship over it should go to Him. Therefore, He is the guardian over the children. He has guardianship over his minor children and mature children who are not responsible (Mukallafin), whether male or female, with respect to themselves and their property, even if the minor children are in the custody of the mother or her relatives.

يَكُونُ الشَّخْصُ إِمَّا قَاصِرًا أَوْ بَالِغًا. وَالْبَالِغُ إِمَّا عَاقِلٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ. فَإِذَا كَانَ الشَّخْصُ بَالِغًا عَاقِلًا فَلَا يَكُونُ لِأَحَدٍ وِلَايَةٌ عَلَيْهِ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ، بَلْ هُوَ الَّذِي يُدِيرُ شُؤُونَهُ بِنَفْسِهِ. غَيْرَ أَنَّ حَقَّ الْوِلَايَةِ يَبْقَى لِلْأَبِ. وَإِذَا كَانَ الشَّخْصُ قَاصِرًا، أَوْ بَالِغًا لَكِنَّهُ مَجْنُونٌ، فَلَا تَكُونُ الْوِلَايَةُ بِيَدِهِ لِأَنَّهُ عَاجِزٌ عَنْ مُبَاشَرَتِهَا، فَتَنْتَقِلُ الْوِلَايَةُ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى الْأَبِ. وَتَسْتَمِرُّ هَذِهِ الْوِلَايَةُ مَا دَامَ الْوَصْفُ الَّذِي اقْتَضَاهَا قَائِمًا، أَيْ كَوْنُهُ قَاصِرًا أَوْ مَجْنُونًا. فَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْقَاصِرُ، أَوْ شُفِيَ الْبَالِغُ الْمَجْنُونُ مِنْ جُنُونِهِ وَعَتَهِهِ، انْتَهَتِ الْوِلَايَةُ عَلَيْهِ. فَيَصِيرُ وَلِيًّا عَلَى شُؤُونِ نَفْسِهِ، وَيَبْقَى الْأَبُ مُسْتَمِرًّا فِي الْوِلَايَةِ عَلَيْهِ عَلَى سَبِيلِ النَّدْبِ وَالِاسْتِحْبَابِ، لِأَنَّ حَقَّهُ فِي الْوِلَايَةِ دَائِمٌ.

A person is either a minor or mature. The mature person is either sane or mentally deranged. If the person is mature and sane then no one has guardianship over Him in terms of Himself and his property, rather He is the one who will administer his own affairs. However the right of guardianship remains with the father. If the person is a minor, or mature but is insane, then the guardianship will not be in his hands because He is unable to undertake it, so the guardianship over Him will go to the father. This guardianship will continue as long as the description which required it is still present, i.e. to be a minor or insane. When the minor becomes mature or if the mature child is cured of his/her madness and idiocy, then the guardianship over Him/her is terminated. Then he/she becomes a guardian over his/her own affairs, and the father continues to have the guardianship over them out of preference (Nadb) and recommendation, because his right of guardianship is permanent.