28th September 2020
Question: Can wedding expenses such as food preparation, venue booking, limos contribute to as mahr?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, to be clear mahr or known as dowry, is what the groom gives to the bride at the time or after the Nikah between them. The mahr is the right which the Shariah obligates the man to give to his bride in exchange of her hand in marriage to himself. One of the essential conditions is for her to be given complete ownership over the dowry since she is giving herself access to him.[1] Paying for all of the wedding expenses does not constitute towards her dowry due to the absence of her ownership and moreover, the wedding expenses is used to accommodate the guests whereas the mahr is not for the guests but for her.
As a recommendation, when it comes to celebrating weddings, one must celebrate a simple wedding and avoid extravagance. A simple wedding transpires great blessings in the marriage as stated by our beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam where he said, “Verily the greatest of blessings in a Nikah is the one with the least expenditure.”[2] This suggests that where the minimal expenses used is sufficient to comfortably accommodate the guests then that becomes a source of blessings for the wedded couple.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written and researched by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Kasān, Badā’i Sanāi, Kitāb al-Nikah, vol 3 p. 513-4
[فَصْلٌ بَيَانُ مَا يَجِبُ بِهِ الْمَهْرُ]
وَالْمَهْرُ يَجِبُ بِمُقَابَلَةِ إحْدَاثِ الْمِلْكِ؛ وَلِأَنَّهُ عَقْدُ مُعَاوَضَةٍ وَهُوَ مُعَاوَضَةُ الْبُضْعِ بِالْمَهْرِ فَيَقْتَضِي وُجُوبَ الْعِوَضِ كَالْبَيْعِ، سَوَاءٌ كَانَ الْمَهْرُ مَفْرُوضًا فِي الْعَقْدِ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَنَا۔۔۔
وَإِذَا طَالَبَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ بِالْمَهْرِ يَجِبُ عَلَى الزَّوْجِ تَسْلِيمُهُ أَوَّلًا؛ لِأَنَّ حَقَّ الزَّوْجِ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ مُتَعَيِّنٌ، وَحَقُّ الْمَرْأَةِ فِي الْمَهْرِ لَمْ يَتَعَيَّنْ بِالْعَقْدِ، وَإِنَّمَا يَتَعَيَّنُ بِالْقَبْضِ فَوَجَبَ عَلَى الزَّوْجِ التَّسْلِيمُ عِنْدَ الْمُطَالَبَةِ لِيَتَعَيَّنَ
[2] Mishkat al-Masabeeh, Book of Nikah, No. 3097
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: «إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ النِّكَاحِ بَرَكَةً أَيْسَرُهُ مُؤْنَةً» . رَوَاهُمَا الْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ.