Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

14 August 2025

4-minute read

“Without mahr, nikah is not made.”

Continuing on from the discussion of mahr, Ml Ebrahim Bham advised that while exorbitant amounts shouldn’t be given, neither should so little mahr be given as to be unequal to a woman’s dignity. The best mahr is mahr-e-Fatimi which is equivalent to 500 silver coins, and the amount is announced weekly by the Jamiat. Mahr-e-misr is an amount equal to the dignity of the woman as agreed upon by her family, even if she is prepared to settle for less. However, a woman is permitted to ask for whatever amount she wants.

Mahr that is not paid becomes a debt upon the husband’s head. In the case of non-consummation of a marriage that ends in divorce, half the mahr can be kept by the woman and the other half returned. While a woman is allowed to forgive the mahr, this shouldn’t become a trend as mahr is the right of the bride.

A recent trend is for the mahr to be made known between the two parties, with some couples choosing to have representatives from both sides of the family to acknowledge this. While the woman herself does not attend the nikah ceremony at the masjid, she chooses a representative, usually her father, to act on her behalf. The person performing the nikah puts the proposal forward to the representative. Two people act as witness to the representation and consent at the nikah ceremony, asking the bride’s representative if she has given him mandate to give her consent to getting married to the groom.

While the bride’s family is permitted to host a function after the nikah in compliance with Islamic regulations, this is not a sunnah. The actual sunnah is the walimah that is hosted by the groom and his family. According to a hadith, the best nikah is the one in which the least expenses are incurred, and the families should not follow the customs and innovations of marriage ceremonies of other religions and cultures.

A Beautiful Nikah

When Nabi SAW’s daughter Fatimah was of marriageable age, many suitors came forward with proposals. When Ali RA came forward, he was too shy to voice his proposal, but the Nabi of Allah SAW deciphered his hesitancy and asked him what he had to give as mahr. Ali RA replied that he had nothing but a horse and armour. Nabi SAW advised him to sell his armour to Uthman RA, who purchased it above its market value and then regifted it to Ali RA. Nabi SAW then told some Sahabah RA to prepare some things for Fatimah RA’s nikah; he sent Bilal RA to purchase some itr and a few other items, and Anas RA was sent to call the senior Sahabah RA. When the men were seated, Nabi SAW recited the khutbah and gave Fatimah RA in marriage to Ali RA, announcing the amount of the mahr. Nabi SAW then recited the following dua: ‘O Allah, create harmony between these two. Bless them and bestow upon them good children’. Inculcating the sunnah, a dua should be made after the nikah.

Happiness and joy must be displayed at the nikah. In the case of Fatimah RA, preparations were made at the home of Ali RA to welcome his bride. Aisha RA commented: ‘We never saw a wedding in our time equivalent to the wedding preparations of Fatimah RA.’  Soft sand was put on the ground and hooks were put up for the couple hang their clothes. Nabi SAW gave his daughter Fatimah a silver bracelet, two Yemeni sheets, four mattresses, a blanket, a pillow, one cup, a hand-grinding mill, a bedstead, a small water skin and a leather pitcher.

Nabi SAW sent Fatimah RA to her marital home with Umm Ayman and a group of women. Thereafter Nabi SAW himself went to the house of Ali and Fatimah RA, dipped his hand in some water and sprinkled it on the bride and groom, making a special dua for Allah SWT to grant them muhabbah.

Listen to the full discussion with Ml Ahmad Waja and Ml Ebrahim Bham here.