Answer
Based on official Jordanian legal texts
Jordanian law distinguishes guardianship (wilāya) from trusteeship (waṣāya) by source, authority, and oversight. Guardianship is natural, established by kinship and Sharia without need for judicial appointment; Article 223 of the Personal Status Law provides that a minor's guardian is his father, then the true grandfather, so it is a guardianship belonging to them by origin.
Trusteeship is a substitute arising by appointment: Article 230 provides that a father may appoint a chosen trustee and that the court appoints a trustee if the minor has no trustee from the father or grandfather. Article 231 sets the trustee's conditions, Article 235 subjects his actions to the court's oversight, and Article 239 obliges him to submit a periodic report.
Guardianship is thus broader in authority and less restricted because it is natural, while trusteeship is more subject to judicial oversight and periodic reports because it rests on appointment and agency.
Assessing whether guardianship or trusteeship exists and the limits of each remains within the Sharia Court's competence on the facts of each case.
This is a general explanation based on Jordanian Personal Status Law and does not replace advice from a qualified lawyer in a specific dispute.
