Monday, August 6, 2012

Bride-Price / Dowry for a poor man

One day, a woman came to see the Prophet of Allah [PBUH= Allah's
blessings and Peace be upon him] and said: "Oh! Messenger of Allah! I
do not have a husband and I want to be a good wife; i give myself to
you."
The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] kept silent for a long while.
Suddenly, a man who waspresent stood up and asked if the woman would
accept him for a husband.
The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] said: "Do you haveanything to give her
as a dowry."
The man thought and said: "I have half of my cloth," and indeed he was
wearing a single cloth around him.
"If you give her part of this cloth, you will have nothing to wear
anymore;it will become her possession. Find something else." Since at
this time the followers of Islam and the Prophet himself [PBUH] were
poor,the man thought again a long time and declared:"No, I do not
possess a thing to give her."
The Messenger of Allah then told him: "Go to yourhouse and look for
something, even if it is an iron ring."
The man departed and came back a while later, and declared: "I looked
everywhere, but I did not find anything to give her as her dowry."
After reflection, the Prophet of Allah [PBUH]said: "Did you learnsome
of the Qur'an?"
"Yes, I have learned by heart so-and-so Surahs [chapters of the Qur'an]"
The Messenger of Alah [PBUH] therefore declared:"Teach her what you
know of the Qur'an, and this will constitute her dowry."
The couple felt contented with what was proposed, and they got married.

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