Rare Ahadith about Mahr

“This is concerning my question before abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman following her command to form the marriage contract. He (the Imam) said, ‘Her command in the matters of mahr (dower) must stay within the amount of mahr (dower) of the family of Muhammad (SAW), which is twelve Awqiyah and one Nashsha and it weighs five hundred dirham of silver/ I then asked, ‘What will happen if he forms the marriage contract according to his own command and she agrees with it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Whatever he commands is lawful and binding on her whether the amount is very little or more.’ I then asked, ‘How is it that her command is not binding on him and his command is binding upon her?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because according to her own command she could not go beyond the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, upon which he married his wives, she must act according to the Sunnah because she appointed him as the agent to form the contract and settle mahr (dower) and she agreed to his decision so she must accept his decision and command about the amount whether it is less or more/”

“About the case of a man who marries a woman on her command and decision or according to his decision and command then he or she dies before they go to bed with each other, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘She can have advantage and inheritance but has no mahr (dower)/ I then asked what happens if he divorces her after marriage according to her command and decision?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If he divorces her after marriage according to her command and decision her mahr (dower) is not more than the weight of five hundred dirham of silver which is the mahr (dower) of the women of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.’”

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked, when I was present, about the case of a man who married a woman as the second wife, the first being al-Mudabbarah, a slave-girl (a slave whose freedom is agreed to take place after the death of the master) which was known to the woman but she executed the marriage and then he divorced her before going to bed with her. He (the Imam) said, ‘In my view the woman can have half of the services of al-Mudabbarah, that is one day of her service for the woman and one day of her service for her master/ It was asked, ‘What happens if she dies before the woman and the master and who will have her legacy?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘One-half is for the woman and one-half is for the master.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who married a woman to teach her a chapter from the book of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious. He (the Imam) said, ‘I do not like his going with her to bed before teaching her the Chapter and giving her something.’ I then asked if giving dates or raisins is enough. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful if she agrees with whatever it is.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that once a woman came to the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and said, ‘You must give me in marriage.’ The Messenger of Allah, asked, ‘Is there anyone for her?’ A man stood up and said, ‘I am for her, O Messenger of Allah, give her in marriage to me.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) asked, ‘What do you want to give her?’ He replied, ‘I do not have anything.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘No, I will not give her in marriage to you.’ She repeated and the Messenger of Allah also repeated his question to people, but no one other than that man said anything. She repeated again and on the third time the Messenger of Allah asked that man, ‘Do you know something from the Quran well?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I know from the Quran.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘I give her in marriage to you to teach her what you know well of the Quran.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman for one thousand dirham. He then gives her a runaway slave and a gown made of silk for one thousand dirham for her mahr (dower). He (the Imam) said, ‘If she agrees for the slave and knows his condition, then it is not unlawful if she takes possession of the clothes and has agreed for the slave.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if he divorces her before going to bed with her?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She will have no mahr (dower) and has to return five hundred dirham and the slave is for her.’”

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and her mahr (dower) is a servant. He (the Imam) said, ‘The servant must be of average and medium condition.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if it is a house?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It must be of average and medium condition.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of a man who gave his daughter in marriage to the son of his brother with a mahr (dower) of a house and a servant and the man died. He (the Imam) said, ‘Mahr (dower) is paid from medium kinds of assets.’ I (the narrator) than asked, ‘What is the condition of the house and servant?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The house must be of a medium condition and the servant must be of a medium condition.’ I then asked, ‘Can it be thirty or forty dinar? The house is about that much.’ The Imam said, ‘This is seventy-eighty dinar or one hundred dinar or so.’”

narrated to me daughter of al-Hassan sister of abu ‘Ubaydah al-Hadhddha’ who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman with a condition not to marry any other woman with her and she agrees for that as her mahr (dower). He (the Imam) said, ‘This condition is not valid because mahr (dower) can only be like one or two dirham.’”

“About the case of a man who marries a woman without assigning any mahr (dower) and goes to bed with her, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘She has a mahr (dower) similar to that for the women of her family.’”

“About the case of a man who marries a woman for a mahr (dower) payable immediately and a part of it on credit, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The due date for payment of what is on credit of mahr (dower) is on their separation or death.’”

“About the case of a man who hides the amount of mahr (dower) and in public shows it more, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘It ( mahr (dower)) is what he hides.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), once asked, ‘Do you know why mahr (dower) of women has become four thousand?’ I replied, ‘No, I do not know.’ He (the Imam) said, “Umm Habibah, daughter of abu Sufyan was in al-Habashah (Ethiopia) and the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, proposed marriage. Al-Najashiy paid four thousand. For this reason they take it, however, the actual mahr (dower) is twelve Awqiyah and one Nashsha.’”

“About the case of a man who marries a woman for teaching her a chapter from the book of Allah, then divorces her before going to bed with her and what she must receive, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘He owes to teach her half as much of that chapter.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘If a woman gives her mahr (dower) as charity to her husband before going to bed with her, Allah writes for her for every dinar freeing of a slave.’ It was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, What is for gifting it after going to bed?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘That is because of affection and kindness.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the minimum amount of mahr (dower). He (the Imam) said, ‘It can be a figure of sugar.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Allah forgives every sin on the Day of Judgment except non-payment of mahr (dower), usurpation of wages and selling free people.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Imam pays debts of believing people except mahr (dower) of women.’”