The Protection of Woman’s Right to Dower in Islamic Law

Abstract

Dower is one of the fundamental rights of woman provided by Islam. This right provides woman economic and financial stability at the beginning of her married life. This study evaluates the concept of dower in Islamic perspective by explicating its significance and legitimacy. It also denotes the importance of dower in marriage contract. The quantum of dower may be fixed or decided according to the families, they are living with, if not mentioned in the contract of marriage. Present study also argues that Islam has not specified the quantum of Dower however the jurists believe that there are different specifications in terms of maximum and minimum quantum. This research aims to demonstrate the reasons of why Islam has promoted dower as a right of woman that invalidates the marriage contract if unpaid. However, Islam strictly prohibits the ostentatious manifestations of Pakistani societies that could trouble the individuals and society holistically. This paper concludes that how Islam has protected woman by providing her right to dower.