Regarding Payment of dower in the Marriages under Muslim Personal Law

Regarding Payment of dower in the Marriages under Muslim Personal Law   Marriage generally involves some financial settlements under every legal system, secular or religious. However, Muslim personal law requires the payment of dower also, apart from maintenance, to be made by he husband to the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Dr Muhammad Abu Tawab Khan
Format: Article
Language:Arabic
Published: Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre University of Karachi 2018-12-01
Series:The Islamic Culture
Online Access:http://theislamicculture.com/index.php/tis/article/view/288
Description
Summary:Regarding Payment of dower in the Marriages under Muslim Personal Law   Marriage generally involves some financial settlements under every legal system, secular or religious. However, Muslim personal law requires the payment of dower also, apart from maintenance, to be made by he husband to the wife. This is in fact a strict financial obligation set by the sharia that has to be performed by every husband in consequence of a marriage. The Holy Qur'an directs that 'Give women their dowries as a free gift'(4:4). Dower is a financial gain of the wife, which is her personal right. This·is an extra amount that is payable to her th.at . incurs even no financial liabilities and the wife, i f l ikes, may keep it in the fo1m of fixed deposit or may spend it according to her sweet will without any restriction from her husband. Thus, the wife is the absolute owner.of the property obtained by way of dower. This is also one of the distinguishing features of Islamic Law of marriage. 'the payment of owner on the part of the husband is an admission of the independence of the wife for she becomes the owner of property immediately on her marriage though before it she may not have owned anything. 1 This is absolutely her own property over which husband has no legal right There are many verses of the Holy Qur'an that indicate that this is her absolute right and 'so it is not lawful for her father or any other one to take any part ' of this property Dower : General Principles Dower: Source of Obligation:Sharia,not contract. Though marriage under lslamic Law is generally treated as a contract, the agreement of the parties is not only the source of rights and duties to arise in consequence of such contracts, there are many unilateral obligations that arise in consequence of marriage. They are not settled by the parties themselves but arc imposed by .. the . sharia. Dower is one of the those unilateral obligations on the husband which has been imposed by the shariyaaa irrespective of the agreement
ISSN:1813-775X
2663-1709