Islamic Marriage and the Legal System: Mahr/Dowr

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem' الرَّحِيْمِ الرَّحْمٰنِ اللهِ بِسْمِ

Tahir Khan barrister provides some useful legal and practical guidance on Islamic mahr/dower and its validity and recognition under English Law together with some of the challenges and difficulties that face practitioners when confronted with such matters.

Introduction

An Un-Islamic Practice: Dowry

Just for the purposes of clarification dower is a practice which has never been sanctioned by Islam and is greatly on the increase among the Muslims of India and Pakistan. The custom of dowry has its origin in the Hindu tradition. Hindus did not give their daughters any share of the family property. Instead they were given dowries on their marriage as a measure of compensation in the form of household utilities.

Mahr / Dower

Mahr is an Arabic word meaning dower. Besides mahr sadaq nahlah ajr and faridah are other Arabic terms used in the Quran and hadiths to mean dower or bridal due. Dower is a benefit given by a man to a woman when they marry. It is the woman's legal right to receive it and it is specified during the marriage contract or...

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