A Jurisprudential Analysis of the Concept of “Mahr al-Sunnah”

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Qom Seminary

10.22081/jf.2025.70726.2876

Abstract

One of the pillars of marriage is the specification of mahr (dower), which must have a defined amount. The sacred Islamic law introduces Mahr al-Sunnah as an Islamic tradition, which amounts to 500 legal dirhams. The central question of this study is: given the devaluation of silver following the shift from the gold and silver monetary system to the fiat currency system, how can the value of Mahr al-Sunnah be calculated in the present time? This applied study uses a library-based data collection method and employs descriptive-analytical analysis. Among the two assumed methods for estimating the value of Mahr al-Sunnah, the method based on calculating the value of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’s (peace be upon her) dowry was deemed invalid due to changes in the production process and function of household goods. However, the method based on the valuation of gold—owing to its maintained economic standing—is proposed in this paper. By calculating the value of Mahr al-Sunnah in early Islam based on gold and aligning the weight of the Islamic mithqal (legal weight measure) with the views of contemporary scholars, the study concludes that the present-day value of Mahr al-Sunnah equals 214.625 grams of 22-karat gold.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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