QUESTION:
What do the scholars and muftis of the noble Shari’ah say regarding the following matter; what is the minimum quantity of Mahr (dowry) and how much Mahr did the noble Prophet ﷺ give to his wives?
Questioner: Sister from UK
ANSWER:
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
The minimum quantity of Mahr is ten dirhams i.e. two tolas and seven and a half māsha (30.618 grams) of silver or its value; Mahr cannot be less than this.
قَالَ عَلِيٌّ: «لَا مَهْرَ بِأَقَلَّ مِنْ عَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ»
“Hazrat ‘Alī (may Allāh increase his honour further) has stated, ‘Mahr cannot be less than 10 dirhams.’”
[Musannaf ibn Abī Shaybah, vol 3, pg 493]
It is also mentioned in Tanwīr al-Absār ma’ al-Durr al-Mukhtār that,
“(أَقَلُّهُ عَشَرَةُ دَرَاهِمَ) لِحَدِيثِ الْبَيْهَقِيّ وَغَيْرِهِ «لَا مَهْرَ أَقَلُّ مِنْ عَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ»“
“(The minimum quantity of mahr is ten dirhams); Baihaqī and other books of Hadīth state that, ‘Mahr cannot be less than 10 dirhams.’”
[al-Durr al-Mukhtār & Radd al-Muhtār, vol 4, pg 222]
The Merciful Prophet ﷺ gave twelve and a half ounces i.e. 1530.9 grams of silver in Mahr. It is mentioned in Sahīh Muslim that Sayyidah ‘Ā’ishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) states,
“كَانَ صَدَاقُهُ لِأَزْوَاجِهِ ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أُوقِيَّةً وَنَشًّاقَالَتْ أَتَدْرِي مَا النَّشُّ؟» قَالَ: قُلْتُ: لَا، قَالَتْ: «نِصْفُ أُوقِيَّةٍ، فَتِلْكَ خَمْسُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَهَذَا صَدَاقُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأَزْوَاجِهِ“
“The Mahr given to the pure wives of the Prophet ﷺ was twelve auqiȳah and nash. He ﷺ then asked do you know what a nash is? It is half an auqiȳah. In total, the Mahr was twelve and a half auqiȳah i.e. 500 dirhams of silver.”
[Sahīh Muslim, pg 740, Hadīth 1426]
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Dawud Hanif
Read the original answer in Urdu here – [Q-ID0383] What is the minimum Mahr (dowry) & how much Mahr did the noble Prophet give to his wives?
To read more Q&A’s to do with Marriage & Divorce click here.
Also see:
[Q-ID0671] My ex-wife is requesting more mahr (dowry) than agreed – what is the ruling?