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another scholar whose opinion Is that it should be one quarter
of a dinar. Anas narrated that Abd al RaDmFn bin*Awf married a
woman and gave her gold equal to the weight of a date stone (as a
maher). When the Prophet noti I ce d the signs of his cheerfulness'
and asked him about it, he said, "I have married a woman and
gave (her) gold equal to the weight of a date stone in weight (as
2
Maher). " Still there is another opinion that the minimum dowry
must be 10 dirhams relying on what Umar, "Ali, Abd Allah bin"Umar have
said: they have said that the minimum dowry should be 10 dirhams.
However, Islam has urged Muslims not to be over-extravagant:
"But waste not by excess. for Goý loveth not the
wasters. 11 ý_4
"verily, spendthrifts are brothers of the evil one. " 5
If a man is poor, he need not even pay money as a dowry.
According to tradition, Sahl b., Sa d said, "The Prophet said to a man
m1arry even with (a Maher equal to) an Iron ring. "
6 He need not
even be able to produce this. Teaching is equally acceptable. Sahl
b. Sa d narrated: While I was sitting among the people in the
company of Allah's Apostle, a woman stood up and said, "Oh Allah's
Ap
, ostle.
'I give myself in marriage to you; please give your opinion.
The Prophet did not give her any reply, so she again stood up and said:
"Oh Allah's Apostle, I give myself in marriage to you so please give
your opinion. The Prophet did not give her any reply. She again
stood up for the third time and said, I give myself in marriage to you,
so a man stood up and said, "Oh Allah's Apostle. Marry her to me. "
The -
Prophet asked him, "Have you got anything ? 11 He said, "No,. "
ý'The Prophet said. "Go and search for something, even if it were an
1
,,, See, Shihatah, op* cit., P. 18
2: 'Salih al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, op. cit. *' P. 58
3. See Shif; aitah, op. cit,, P, 18
4* Q, 7, A
5. Q, 17,27.
6. Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol., 7, op. cit,, P, 60
3
91