The way most Muslims live (as well as conservative Christians and Jews), men ask for a woman's hand in marriage from the dad. The dad is not just a turn-style who has to say yes. He is a "wali" or protector and guardian of his daughter's rights. So he will be asking some serious questions that would be awkward if the woman had to ask them. Furthermore, in the community today, there are many converts that seek out a wali because they have no male relative who is Muslim. In this post, I share some guidelines and stories that are useful.
Being a wali is not an honorary role. You're not just throwing out the first pitch. You're actually trying to throw curve balls to see whether this guy checks out or has issues. Here are some questions and demands a wali should make: