The Place of a Large Dowry in Teachings of the Religion, Views of Experts in the Law (Faqihs), and Positive Law

The dowry، as one of a wife’s financial rights، has an important place in Islam. The Holy Quran refers to this notion by using words such as sidaq and nihlah، which highlight a husband’s sincerity in making the marriage vow. In the Shia jurisprudence and also in Iran’s civil law، no limit has been set for the maximum amount that a wife’s dowry can have، leaving the amount to the couple’s agreement. Recent changes in the system of values، norms and beliefs have resulted in the dowry losing its original function and becoming excessively large. The increase in the amount of dowry has created functional and other problems in the family and the society. The main question addressed in the present paper is as to the place of a large dowry in the teachings of the religion. The study shows that، although no limit is set for the maximum amount of a wife’s dowry، a large dowry is considered as a disfavored matter. The reason for this disfavor is probably the adverse social consequences that large dowries bring to the person and the society. Islamic jurists have encouraged Muslims to prefer small dowries and to avoid demanding large dowries. The paper also suggests a number of ways for confronting and overcoming the problem.