Her father refuses to marry her to this young man and she loves him
Question

                I have a problem and I hope you can help me. A young man of good character who is religiously committed came to propose marriage to me, and he is financially well off too, and to be frank, I love him. But my father refused for reasons that are not convincing; he says that he does not like the people of the city that this young man comes from! 

I prayed istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance, but I do not know what to do. Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
Praise be to Allah.
    Do not worry, every problem may be insignificant except a 
    problem concerning one’s religious commitment. May Allaah not cause our 
    problems to be concerning our religious commitment.  

    The Muslim knows that this world is the arena of trials and 
    tests, and that when he accepts trials and tests and faces them with 
    patience and acceptance of the will and decree of Allaah, then they become 
    gifts for him from the Lord of the Worlds, which cause him to rise in status 
    and expiate his sins. 

    Imam Ahmad (21833) and Abu Dawood (3090) narrated from Abu 
    Khaalid al-Sulami (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he went out to visit 
    one of his brothers, and he heard that he was sick. He entered upon him and 
    said: “I came as a visitor, to visit you in your sickness and bring glad 
    tidings.” 

    He said: “How can you combine all of that?”  

    He said: “I came out, intending to visit you, then I heard 
    that you were sick, so now I am visiting you in your sickness. And I give 
    you the glad tidings of something that I heard from the Messenger of Allaah 
     (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: “If Allaah 
    decrees that a person should reach a status that his deeds cannot help him 
    to reach, He tests him with regard to his physical health or his wealth or 
    his child, then He causes him to be patient until he reaches that status 
    that He has decreed for him.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in 
    al-Saheehah (2599) on the basis of corroborating reports. 

    You should note that Allaah has not prescribed for a Muslim 
    woman to arrange her own marriage, rather He has stipulated that her wali 
    (guardian) should be the one who arranges her marriage. He has prescribed 
    that out of mercy towards His slaves, so as protect their interests which 
    may be lost whenever people become negligent with regard to that. You must 
    have heard the stories of marriages based on that (love marriages) and how 
    their lives turned into distress and regret, if the marriage even survived. 

    But we do not need to learn from experience in order to obey 
    the command of our Lord or to know the benefits, both spiritual and worldly, 
    that that brings to us. The role of the believer when faced with the command 
    of Allaah is to say “We hear and we obey.” See questions no. 
    2127 and 
    31119 
    for the conditions of the wali for marriage. 

    What we advise you is not to insist on what you think is 
    right and do not let emotion sway you when making decisions. Do not look at 
    your problem alone, rather seek the help of a sincere and trustworthy family 
    member or relative, who knows you and him, and who is liked by your father 
    and whose opinion your father trusts. 

    Then pray istikhaarah to Allaah and remember, when you ask 
    your Lord for guidance by praying istikhaarah, turning sincerely to Him and 
    expressing your need for His help and guidance, that Allaah decrees nothing 
    but good for His slave, whether His decree is in accordance with what you 
    like and want or not. For the believer’s affair is all good. So be content 
    with whatever Allaah decrees for you. 

    You can also seek the help of someone who can convince your 
    father to let you marry the one you want, if his religious commitment and 
    character are as you describe. 

    In order to benefit from that, you have to give your father 
    time to think, and so not try to force your father to make a decision too 
    soon. In other words, I do not advise you to insist too strongly on marrying 
    this suitor from the outset. Do not try to start an argument with your 
    father which may lead to him forbidding you and being harsh. Rather you 
    should only deal with him in a gentle manner, and give him the impression 
    that you accept his decision, such as saying, “You are my father and my 
    guardian, and you know what is in my best interests, so I hope that you will 
    think again,” and other such words that leave room for discussion. Do not 
    seek a hasty answer from your father. The longer it takes, the more likely 
    there will be a solution, in sha Allaah. 

    But before and after all that, I think that you have the best 
    solution in sha Allaah, which is undoubtedly more beneficial than all that 
    we have mentioned above, and I do not think that it will fail. That is 
    turning to Allaah and making du’aa’. I do not mean only saying du’aa’, I 
    mean turning to Him and beseeching Him, asking Him for goodness, relief and 
    help. When Allaah sees that you are sincere in your du’aa’, He will give you 
    want you want, by His leave. How can it be otherwise when He is the Most 
    Kind, Most Generous? 

    Although you are feeling so critical of your father and 
    regarding him as the one who is preventing you from marrying this man, we 
    would not like you to forget that the relationship between a man and a 
    non-mahram woman can only reach this degree of emotional attachment if there 
    has been a great deal of neglect concerning the sacred limits set by Allaah, 
    with regard to speaking, promising and looking. 

    You have to fear Allaah in secret and in the open, and beware 
    of losing your religious commitment, which is the true calamity. A husband 
    may come and go, wealth may be acquired and lost, but all of that is 
    insignificant in comparison to losing your religious commitment. 

    If either of you has done any such thing, then hasten to 
    repent from it. Allaah may be withholding your father’s acceptance until He 
    sees that you are both sincere in adhering to His Commands. Doesn’t Allaah 
    say in His Book: 

    “And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He 
    will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

    3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could 
    imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. 
    Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure 
    for all things”
    [al-Talaaq 65:2-3]? 

    And Allaah knows best. 

    For further advice and rulings on your problem, please refer 
    to questions no. 6398, 
    10196, 
    23420 and 
    36209.