The dower (mahr)
The dower (mahr) is the property a husband owes his wife because of the marriage contract, with a set minimum and no upper limit.
Mahr is money or property that a husband must give his wife because they are married. It belongs to her, not to her family.
What you should know about mahr
- A husband does not have to say an exact amount at the wedding for the marriage to count, but he still owes her a fair amount either way.
- There is a smallest amount the mahr can be: it cannot be less than the value of about ten silver dirhams.
- There is no biggest amount: a husband can promise as much as he likes, though he should be careful not to promise more than he can actually give.
- The mahr can be paid straight away, or agreed to be paid later.
Mahr is the wealth (cash, goods, or anything of recognised value) that a husband owes his wife because the marriage contract has given him the exclusive right to her married life. It functions as a debt on the husband, fixed at the time of marriage; though its payment is often left until death or divorce by custom, it is better settled as promptly as possible.
Mentioning a mahr at the time of the contract is not necessary for the marriage's validity, only for how the mahr itself is decided. Whether or not one is named, the marriage is valid regardless, and if none was named, the customary mahr (mahr mithl) applies by default, even a condition that no mahr will be paid at all is void, since mahr is a right the Sharia fixes and no private condition can remove it.
| Kind | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Mahr Musamma | The dowry specifically named at the time of the marriage |
| Mahr Mithl | The customary dowry: matched to what women of similar age, looks, wealth, era, intellect, religiosity, temperament, character and marital history in the wife's own family have received, or a comparable woman outside the family if her own family's dowries are unknown or do not share these traits (the mother's own dowry does not count towards this, unless she is herself from the father's family) |
| Mahr Mu'ajal | The dowry paid promptly, or on demand |
| Mahr Mu'ajjal | The dowry deferred to a later date; where no date is set, it customarily falls due at death or divorce |
The mahr must be at least ten dirhams (about 21.264 grams of silver) or property of equal value; naming a lower amount still obliges the husband to pay ten dirhams.
1| Wife or daughter | Dowry |
|---|---|
| Khadijah al-Kubra (may Allah be pleased with her) | 12.5 uqiyah of gold (about 63 grams) |
| Sawda, Aisha, Hafsa, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Juwayriya, and Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with them) | 400 dirhams of silver each (about 850 grams) |
| Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) | 100 dirhams of silver (about 213 grams); some reports mention goods of equal value to 10 dirhams |
| Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her) | 400 dinars of gold |
| Safiya (may Allah be pleased with her) | No specific dowry recorded in the source |
| Fatimah az-Zahra, daughter of the Prophet ﷺ (may Allah be pleased with her) | 400 mithqal of silver |
Of the Prophet's ﷺ eleven wives, two had already passed away by the time of his death; the remaining nine survived him.
Mahr is the wealth (naqd (cash), ʿayn (goods), or any māl-recognised item) that a husband is obligated to give his wife in exchange for the ʿaqd's vesting in him exclusive marital enjoyment of her; it is, in substance, the badal (substitute-value) of that benefit. It functions as a dayn (debt) upon the husband, fixed at the ʿaqd, though customarily deferred to death or divorce; expedited payment is preferable, both to relieve the debt and for accountability in the ākhirah.
Mahr is a necessary component of nikah, though explicitly naming it in the ʿaqd is not itself a condition of the nikah's validity (ṣiḥḥah), only of what follows from it (dawām). Whether or not it is named, the nikah is valid in every case; where unnamed, mahr al-mithl applies. Even a stipulated condition that no mahr be paid, or that the nikah proceed without one, is void, since mahr is a Sharʿī right (ḥaqq) that a private condition cannot annul.
| Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mahr Musammā | The mahr specifically fixed (tasmiyah) at the ʿaqd. |
| Mahr al-Mithl | The mahr corresponding to women of the wife's own family (sisters, paternal and maternal aunts, cousins) who resemble her in age, beauty, wealth, locale, era, ʿaql, dīn, temperament, character, marital history (bikr or thayyibah) and whether or not she has children, or, where such women in her family are unknown or do not share these traits, a comparable woman outside the family sharing them and her lineage. The mother's own mahr does not count towards mahr al-mithl unless she herself belongs to the father's family (e.g. as his paternal cousin). |
| Mahr Muʿajal | The mahr due promptly, payable on demand. |
| Mahr Muʾajjal | The mahr deferred to a stated future date; where none is stated, it falls due by custom at death or divorce. |
Two conditions govern the mahr: it must be at least ten dirhams (approximately 21.264 grams of silver) or property of equivalent value, and it must be of the class of māl (recognised property). Where a lesser amount is named, ten dirhams remains obligatory regardless.
1| Wife or daughter | Recorded mahr |
|---|---|
| Khadījah al-Kubrā (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā) | 12.5 ʿuqiyah of gold (an ʿuqiyah being equal in weight to a dirham), about 63.021 grams |
| Sawdah, ʿĀʾishah, Ḥafṣah, Zaynab bint Jaḥsh, Juwayriyyah, and Maymūnah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhunna) | 400 dirhams of silver each (about 850.57 grams; a dirham weighing approximately 7.5 grams) |
| Umm Salamah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā) | 100 dirhams of silver (about 212.64 grams); other reports record goods equal in value to 10 dirhams |
| Umm Ḥabībah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā) | 400 dinars of gold (about 1215.10 grams; a dinar equal to 100 barley-grains, i.e. 25 rattī) |
| Ṣafiyyah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā) | No specific mahr recorded in the source |
| Fāṭimah az-Zahrāʾ, the Prophet's ﷺ daughter (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā) | 400 mithqāl of silver (a mithqāl equal to 100 barley-grains or 25 rattī, about 1215.10 grams) |
Of the Prophet's ﷺ eleven wives, two had predeceased him; the remaining nine survived him, each reflecting a distinct aspect of his life, as the source notes.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 1,157 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Order of Guardianship in Marriage Rulings Regarding the Insane and Minors
Rulings of Mahr (Dowry):
- Mahr refers to the wealth (cash or goods [or any item considered valuable]) that a husband is obligated to give to his wife as compensation for becoming the owner of her exclusive marital benefits through the marriage contract. In essence, Mahr is the value or substitute of these benefits. [In essence, Mahr is akin to a debt upon the husband that becomes obligatory to pay. Although culturally, its payment is often deferred until death or divorce, it should ideally be settled as soon as possible to relieve the burden of debt and to avoid accountability in the Hereafter.] This is determined at the time of the marriage and becomes binding upon the husband.
- Mahr is a necessary component of marriage, though explicitly mentioning it at the time of the marriage contract is not essential. [Mahr is not necessary for the validity of the marriage but for its continuity.] Whether Mahr is specified or not, the marriage remains valid in every case. If it is not mentioned at the time of marriage, the Mahr Mithl (customary dower) will be applicable. Even if a condition is set that the husband will not pay the Mahr or that the marriage will be performed without it, the husband will still be required to pay the Mahr Mithl, and such a condition will be deemed invalid. [This is because Mahr is a Shari'ah-mandated right that cannot be annulled by human conditions.]
- There are two primary categories of dowry:
(1) Mahr Musamma (2) Mahr Mithl
Then there are two types for each:
(1) Mahr Mu'ajal (2) Mahr Mu'ajjal
Their definitions are listed sequentially as follows:
Mahr Musamma:
The dowry specifically defined at the time of the marriage.
Mahr Mithl:
The dowry that corresponds to the women of the same family as the wife (for example, sisters, aunts, cousins, etc.) who are similar to the wife in terms of: age, beauty, wealth, location, time, intellect, religiosity, temperament, character, marital status (either unmarried or married), and the presence or absence of children. These characteristics of the wife and her family should align with the dowry value.
Notes:
- If the dowry of the women in the wife's family is not known or they do not share these traits, the dowry of a similar woman from outside the family will be used, provided she shares these attributes and lineage with the wife.
- The dowry of the mother will not be considered part of the Mithl dowry, but if the mother belongs to the father’s family (such as the father’s aunt), then her dowry can be counted as Mithl.
Mahr Mu'ajal:
The dowry, that is to be paid immediately or upon demand.
Mahr Mu'ajjal:
The dowry, that is not to be paid immediately but is due at a future date, and if no specific date is set, it will be considered due upon death or divorce, as per customary practice.
- Two conditions apply for dowry:
- The minimum dowry must be ten dirhams (approximately 21.264 grams of silver) or an item with equivalent value.
- The dowry must be of the type of wealth.
Explanation:
- It is not necessary for the dowry to be specifically in the form of dirhams; anything valuable that equals or exceeds ten dirhams in worth can be used as the dowry (for instance, gold, silver, horses, buffaloes, land, gardens, etc.). However, things that are not considered property by Islamic law, such as alcohol, pork, dead bodies, etc., cannot be used as dowry.
- Benefits for which wages are permissible, like a servant’s services, the use of a horse, or residence in a home, can be considered as a dowry, but the husband cannot set his own services as dowry [as that would be disrespect for the husband].
- The dowry cannot be less than ten dirhams. If anyone sets a dowry below this amount, they will still be required to pay ten dirhams.
- There is no upper limit to the dowry; a person can set as much dowry as they wish. However, it is discouraged to set an amount higher than one can afford.
Note: One must consider their financial capability when setting the dowry. Setting an amount higher than one’s means (even for any benefit or compulsion) is recklessly short-sighted, as the inevitable result will be non-payment. Non-payment leads to consequences in the Hereafter and, if there is a disagreement, it will cause difficulty in the world as well, and it may affect the heirs.
Here is a list of the dowries (Zer Mehr) of the noble wives and daughters of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), may Allah be pleased with them, as an example for the Muslims to follow and benefit from:
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Khadijah al-Kubra (may Allah be pleased with her): 12.5 Uqiya of gold (approximately 63 grams 21 milligrams of gold) [Where an Uqiya is equivalent in weight to a Dirham].
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dirhams (approximately 850 grams 57 milligrams of silver)
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dirhams (approximately 850 grams 57 milligrams of silver)
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dirhams (approximately 850 grams 57 milligrams of silver)
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dirhams (approximately 850 grams 57 milligrams of silver) [The weight of a Dirham is 7.5 grams (approximately).]
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her): 100 Dirhams (approximately 212 grams 64 milligrams of silver) [In other historical sources, it is mentioned that goods equivalent to 10 Dirhams were also used for the dowry.]
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dirhams (approximately 850 grams 57 milligrams of silver)
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Juwayriya (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dirhams (approximately 850 grams 57 milligrams of silver)
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dinars (approximately 1215 grams 10 milligrams of gold) [A Dinar is a gold coin, and one Dinar is equal to 100 Jou (barley seeds), which is the same weight as 25 Ratti, and it weighs 35037.75 grams.]
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Safiya (may Allah be pleased with her): (No specific dowry mentioned in the text)
- Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Dirhams (approximately 850 grams 57 milligrams of silver)
- Daughter of the Prophet, Sayyidat Nisa’ Hazrat Fatimah az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her): 400 Miskaal of silver (approximately 1215 grams 10 milligrams of silver) [A Miskaal is equivalent to 100 Jou (barley seeds) or 25 Ratti, which weighs approximately 1215 grams 10 milligrams of silver.]
[Of the eleven wives, two had already passed away, and the remaining nine were alive after the Prophet's death. These nine wives reflect unique aspects of the Prophet’s life.]
Terms on this page
Related
- The ruling on zakat, and when it becomes obligatory Who zakat is obligatory on, what denying it means, and the eight conditions that must all be met before zakat is due.
- Spouses' rights, and marriages that do not hold What a marriage contract owes each spouse, and the situations elsewhere in this section where a marriage (nikah) is invalid or left pending.
- The wife's release in exchange for compensation (khul') How release by agreement (khul') works when a husband will not divorce and the marriage cannot continue, who may ask for it, and what it costs the wife.
- The rules of offer and acceptance The wording, timing and setting that a proposal and its acceptance must satisfy for a marriage (nikah) to be valid.