Dowries
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I have read many verses about dowries given to women by their husbands. Can anyone tell me
Is it a wedding gift or a type of alimony/security type of payment for the future in the event of divorce or death of the husband?
Does it have to involve money? What if it's like a would be groom says "Oh, I'll teach her Qur'aan as being my meher". Would this be a dowry? If so, how would this type of dowry be equitable (according to Qur'aanic verses)?
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Salaam Khadija1,
Mahr has to be something materialistic, i.e. money, gold, or anything that you can get money for if you decide to sell. Prophet Moses? work for his future father-in-law. It cannot be something intellectual. Because in case of divorce a man is not allowed to take back what he's given to his ex. If it were an education, then how ccould one take, or not take, education back?
Taj
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Salaam Khadija1,
Mahr has to be something materialistic, i.e. money, gold, or anything that you can get money for if you decide to sell. Prophet Moses? work for his future father-in-law. It cannot be something intellectual. Because in case of divorce a man is not allowed to take back what he's given to his ex. If it were an education, then how ccould one take, or not take, education back?
Taj
So you would say the mehr is a kind of alimony?
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Salaam Khadija1,
Mahr has to be something materialistic, i.e. money, gold, or anything that you can get money for if you decide to sell. Prophet Moses? work for his future father-in-law. It cannot be something intellectual. Because in case of divorce a man is not allowed to take back what he's given to his ex. If it were an education, then how ccould one take, or not take, education back?
Taj
So you would say the mehr is a kind of alimony?
No, you can consider the mehr as an honor salary or a gift given by the husband to the wife with the marital contract.
6010 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! When believing women come to you as immigrants, investigate their case, although only Allah is best Aware of their Faith. Once you establish that they are indeed believers, do not return them to the rejecters of the Truth. They are not lawful for the rejecters, nor are the rejecters lawful for them. Give the rejecters what they have spent on them (as dowry). And there is no blame on you if you marry these women, when you have given them their due marital gift. And do not hold on to wedlock with women who continue to deny the Truth. And you may ask them for the dowry you had paid, just as the rejecters have the right to ask the return of what they spent. This is the Judgment of Allah. He judges between you, for Allah is all-Knowing, all-Wise.