Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

HONOURABLE SIR,

MY QUESTION IS:- HOW MUCH AMOUNT OF ‘MEHR’ A GIRL CAN DEMAND FROM HIS FEATURING HUSBAND?

I’M GOING TO MARRY A GIRL, SHE IS DEMANDING US $ 5500/- AS ‘HQ MEHR’. SO I’M TRYING AND EARNING THIS AMOUNT SO THAT I PAY THIS AMOUNT TO HER ON THE EVENT OF ‘NIKAH’ AND THEN GET MARRIED.

PLEASE GIVE YOUR USEFUL ADVICE.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

How much mehr can a bride demand

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 4:

4 And give the women (on marriage) their dower (mehr) as a free gift; but if they of their own good pleasure remit any part of it to you take it and enjoy it with right good cheer.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 24:

24 Also (prohibited are) women already married except those whom your right hands possess. Thus hath Allah ordained (prohibitions) against you: except for these all others are lawful provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts (mehr) from your property desiring chastity not lust. Seeing that ye derive benefit from them give them their dowers (‘mehr’, at least) as prescribed; but if after a dower (‘mehr’) is prescribed ye agree mutually (to vary it) there is no blame on you and Allah is All-Knowing All-Wise.

The amount of ‘Mehr’ in Islam is either offered by the groom and accepted by the bride (with consent and agreement of her guardians/parents), or an amount demanded by the bride (with consent and agreement of her guardians/parents) and accepted by the groom. Although in Islamic Law the final decision of how much ‘mehr’ is acceptable is the decision and sole right of the bride alone, this decision is best taken by the bride with the consent of her father or guardian. The bride alone has the sole rights to the ‘mehr’ amount, and she may spend that amount on whoever and whatever she wills and pleases.

Your Question: …..HOW MUCH AMOUNT OF ‘MEHR’ A GIRL CAN DEMAND FROM HIS FEATURING HUSBAND?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 20:

20 But if ye decide to take one wife in place of another, even if ye had given the latter a whole treasure for dower (mehr), take not the least bit of it back: would ye take it by slander and a manifest wrong?

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3206 Narrated by Amir ibn Rabi'ah

A woman of the Banu Fazarah was married for a dower (mehr) of two sandals. When Allah's Messenger (saws) asked whether she was satisfied with two sandals regarding her person and her property and she replied that she was, he (saws) gave his approval.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3209 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

AbuTalhah married Umm Sulaym, the Mehr between them being acceptance of Islam. Umm Sulaym had become a Muslim before AbuTalhah, and when he asked her in marriage she said, "I have become a Muslim, so if you become one I shall marry you." He then accepted Islam and that was the Mehr arranged between them.

There is absolutely no limit to the ‘amount’ of ‘Mehr’ a bride can demand, or a husband may wish to give at the time of their marriage…….it can be as much as a whole treasure, or it can be as little as the declaration of a ‘shahaadah’, or as humble as a paltry pair of sandals!

The bride at the time of marriage is well within her rights to demand as much ‘Mehr’ as she wills and pleases…….and the groom is well within his rights to accept the ‘Mehr’ demand of his bride-to-be and marry her, or reject the demand and thus leave her alone.

Your Question: ….I’M GOING TO MARRY A GIRL, SHE IS DEMANDING US $ 5500/- AS ‘HQ MEHR’. SO I’M TRYING AND EARNING THIS AMOUNT SO THAT I PAY THIS AMOUNT TO HER ON THE EVENT OF ‘NIKAH’ AND THEN GET MARRIED.

If the woman you desire to marry has demanded an ‘x’ amount as her ‘Mehr’ for marriage, and you are willing to accept her demand and pay her her demanded amount, it would suffice to fulfill the obligatory condition of ‘mehr’ in Islam.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan