Dispute between Man, Woman and Her Family about Mahr

“About the case of a man who marries a woman, goes to bed with her, makes her to give birth to children, then dies and she asks something of her mahr (dower) from the heirs of the deceased as well as her share of inheritance, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘She can ask for her share of inheritance but mahr (dower) is what she had received from her husband before going to bed with him and that is which made their marriage lawful, whether little or more as she took possession and accepted and he went to bed with her but thereafter she has nothing to ask for.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a husband and wife who both die and the heirs of the woman ask the heirs of the man to pay her mahr (dower). He (the Imam) said, ‘There is no such right for them/ I then asked, ‘What happens if woman is living and after his death comes and asks for her mahr (dower)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘There is nothing for her; she lived with him until his death.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if she dies and he lives and her heirs come and ask for her mahr (dower)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She lived with him until her death and did not ask.’ I said that that is true. He (the Imam) said, ‘They have no right.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if he divorces her and she asks for her mahr (dower).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She had lived with him and did not ask for her mahr (dower), so there is nothing for her.’ I then asked, ‘When has she the right to ask for her mahr (dower)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When she is led to his house until she arrives, her demand thereafter is nothing for her, such time is a great deal. She can ask him to take an oath by Allah saying that he does not owe her any mahr (dower), small or large.’”

“About the case of a man who marries a woman but he does not go to bed with her and she claims that her mahr (dower) is one hundred dinar while the husband says that it is fifty dinar and there is no witness, abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The words of the husband are accepted on oath.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When a man goes to bed with his wife then she asks for her mahr (dower) and he says that he has paid, he must present testimony and take an oath.’”