The Shari’i Silver Dirham: Reviving the Blessed Form of Mahr

The Shari’i Silver Dirham: Reviving the Blessed Form of Mahr

By ZARINAR (15 Shaaban 1430 Hijri)

All praise and gratitude are only for Allah Almighty. We seek guidance and forgiveness from Him. We also seek refuge in Him from the evils of our own doing. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead him astray. Whoever He leaves to go astray, none can guide him back to the right way. We testify that there is no God but Allah, and we testify that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger.

The soul, the heart and the mind were created in a balance, in a state of fitrah or a natural state of the human being. In the Holy Qur’an, Allah Almighty says:

“… Allah has endeared Faith (Iman) to you, and has made it beautiful in your hearts …” (Surah al-Hujurat 49:7)

Central to the union of hearts, minds and souls is the oldest ‘contract’ between two people in marriage, made in the name of Allah the All-Seeing, the Witness. So critical is this contract in the building of a thriving Islamic community, i.e. by bringing families together, that the realization of this part of one’s life is equated to fulfilling half of one’s faith. And the heart knows that at the threshold of the commitment with one’s soulmate, that God the al-Wadud (the Loving) sanctions this sacred institution.

“And of everything, We have created pairs that you may be mindful.” (Surah az-Zariyat 51:49)

At the Threshold of Marriage

In the search for a relationship that brings love, trust, harmony and compassion, we refer to the Holy Qur’an (for people of understanding) and its description of marriage.

“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts) …” (Surah ar-Rum 30:21)

When Allah unites two partners in Islam, it is the strongest of bonds. A do’a or prayer by a couple could be as follows:

“I enter this contract, this act of worship, in the name of our Creator and Sustainer, as a servant of God. I enter this sacred institution to grow and enrich my life and that of others. My companion in this journey is one who fears Allah in all matters, and who knows his/her ultimate return is to God, the Sublime, the All-Forgiving.”

Amiin, and a very essential aspect of binding this sacred contract is the mahr.

What is the Mahr?

The mahr is a compulsory part of an Islamic marriage contract. It is a gift of money, possessions or property made by the husband to the wife, which becomes her exclusive property. It is an admission of her independence, for she becomes the owner of the money or property immediately, even if she may have owned nothing before. It is also intended as a token of the husband’s willing acceptance of the responsibility of bearing all the necessary expenses of his wife.