Conditions of the wali

The conditions of the wali are as follows:

1. He should be of sound mind
2. He should be an adult
3. He should be free (not a slave)
4. He should be of the same religion as the bride. A non-Muslim cannot be the wali of a Muslim , male or female, and a Muslim cannot be the wali of a kafir, male or female, but a non-Muslim can be the wali of a non-Muslim woman for marriage purposes, even if they are of different religions. An apostate (one who has left Islam) cannot be a wali for anybody.
5. He should be of good character (‘adalah – includes piety, attitude, conduct, etc.), as opposed to being corrupt. This is a condition laid down by some scholars, although some of them regard the outward appearance of good character as being sufficient, and some say that it is enough if he is judged as being able to pay proper attention to the interests of the woman for whom he is acting as wali in the matter of her marriage.
6. He should be male, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No woman may conduct the marriage contract of another woman, and no woman can conduct the marriage contract on behalf of her own self, because the zaniyah (fornicatress, adulteress) is the one who arranges things on her own behalf.” (Reported by Ibn Majah, 1782; see also Sahih al-Jami’, 7298)

He should be wise and mature, which means being able to understand matters of compatibility and the interests of marriage.