Importance of Mahr in Islam

What is the importance of Mahr in Islam? Is it mandatory? Read on to know all about it in today’s post.

Haq Mahr is the main aspect of Nikah and it is mandatory for the groom to give it to the bride.

The gift of marriage (Mahr) is a sacred command. Mahr may be given at the time of Nikah or given on credit. It is the liability of the husband or someone else who wants to pay it and is done on the couple’s mutual consent.

As said by Allah, “And give the women (on marriage) their Mahr as a free gift” (Quran 4:4)

Mahr is a payment to the bride which she will keep. This is because if the girl doesn’t have anything (property or gold), she will have something to hold her rights. If the wife, later on, asks for a divorce, she will return the Mahr to him and get a divorce called Khula. Usually, the wife is allowed to keep the Mahr if a divorce happens due to ordinary issues.

Allah says in Surah An-Nisa, verse 20:

“But if you want to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount (in gifts), do not take back from it anything. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin?” [4:20]

Also, the following hadith states: “You are not entitled to take back any money. If you have told the truth, the Mahr you paid was for having sexual relations with her lawfully”. [Sahih Bukhari].

Mahr is a sign of responsibility of the husband and is a must to pay the bride with currency, movable or immovable properties. The Mahr is not legally fixed but suggested as per the social standards. The Mahr is assessed during the time of marriage or postponed at a later date. However, in case of death or divorce, the delayed Mahr stands void.

As Prophet Mohammed said,

“Surely Allah may forgive any sin on the Day of Resurrection save the sin of one who misappropriated the Mehr of a woman or the wages of a hired person, or who sells a free person (as a slave).”

Before the marriage is conducted, the Muslim groom must negotiate a financial arrangement with the bride. This financial arrangement is called Mahr which is gifted to her and she can use it in any way she pleases. The explanation is that if the girl doesn’t have anything from her own house, she can use the Mahr as her rights.

{650 CD; 28 AH), popularly referred to as Umm Sulaym by her Kunya, is the first woman who converted to Islam at Yathrib (now Medina). Umm Sulaym got married to Malik ibn an-Nadr and Anas ibn Malik, a prominent companion of Muhammad, was her son by this marriage.

As per the Hadith, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said that the Mahr should be “one piece of gold”. However, the Mahr sum is agreed between the bride and the groom’s parents or guardians (also known as Wali). The parties often create Mahr contracts to come to an agreement on the Mahr amount.

Thus, all the above Hadith and Quran verses say that Mahr is the most important requirement during Nikah. Mahr is the right of the bride which should be given to her and she also has the right to keep it with her even if she gets divorced after Nikah.







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