Resolutions-of-Islamic-Fiqh-Council-1

The Council recommends that it is Sunnah to have a smalldower in order to facilitate the marriage by scaling down theextra-ordinary costs and expenses. It also warns againstoverspending and waste in the marriage.Fourth:The Islamic Fiqh Council appeals to the Muslim scholars,leaders and general public in India to fight against this badcustom of dowry and try to uproot it from their country, becauseit is against heavenly religions and laws. It is also against soundthinking and perfect reasoning.Fifth:This bad custom, apart from its contradiction to the IslamicShari’ah is greatly harmful to women, because grooms in thiscase do not marry except the girl whose family presents them anamount of money that attracts them, hence daughters of the richare married and daughters of the poor remain without marriage.The consequences of this situation are very obvious. Marriagethen would be on the basis of financial considerations, not on thebasis of choice for the best boy or the best girl. It is commonscene in the Western world that the poor girl has to spend herprime youth in working and earning until she is able to collectthe amount that can attract a groom to marry her.Islam has honoured the woman as it has commanded the menwilling to marry to provide her with a dower that is appropriateto her and her state of affairs. This way, Islam has opened thedoor for the marriage of poor girls, because a small dower issufficient to them and it is easier for men who are not rich tomarry such women.Chairman, Islamic Fiqh CouncilAbdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Baz186