Resolutions-of-Islamic-Fiqh-Council-1

gift…” (Qur’an, 4:4) “…And there will be no blame on you if youmarry them on payment of their dower to them.” (Qur’an, 60:10)“…Seeing that you derive benefit from them, give them theirdowers (at least) as prescribed…” (Qur’an, 4:24)As regards the evidence from the Sunnah, the legality ofdower is established through the sayings of Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) as well as his actions and approvals.- As regards the Prophet’s saying, Jabir has reported in MusnadAhmad and Sunan Abi Dawood that the Prophet (peace be uponhim) said: “If a man gives a handful of food as the marriagedower to a woman, she will be lawful for him.- Regarding the Prophet’s action, it has been reported byAyeshah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih Muslim andother books of Sunnah that his (the Prophet’s) dower for hiswives was twelve and a half Ouqiyah.- As regards the Prophet’s approval, it has been reported in theSahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim and other books of Hadiththat Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw the remainsof flower on Abdur Rahman Ibn Auf so he asked: “What isthis.” He replied: “I have married a woman on gold weighing adate-pit.” He said: “May Allah bless you.”On the basis of the above-mentioned argument, the Councildecided that it is compulsory for the husband to pay dower to hiswife, whether it is immediate or deferred, or part of it is paidimmediately and the remaining is paid later, provided that it isreal and its intention is to pay it whenever it is possible, becauseit is forbidden to contract a marriage without a dower fromhusband to his wife.185