Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Because (Allah Almighty) did not forbid the qintar (giving heaps of wealth as dower), although it is a great amount, nor did He set any limit for the minimum (dower)."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / Q14334
Urwah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Sayyidah Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she was married to Ubaydullah bin Jahsh. When he emigrated towards Abyssinia, he died there. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) while she was in the land of Abyssinia; al-Najashi carried out this duty, and her dower was four thousand. Al-Najashi prepared her from his own side and sent Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with Shurahbil bin Hasanah (may Allah be pleased with him). All of her belongings were from al-Najashi; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) paid nothing from his own side. And the dowers of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were four hundred dirhams.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14334
Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I set out intending to forbid large dowers for women, but then I recited this verse: "And you have given one of them a heap of treasure (qintar)." [Surah al-Nisa: 20]
This is a good mursal report.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14335
Imam al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the people, praised and extolled Allah Almighty, and said: Do not give excessive dowers to women. If I learn that anyone has given more as dower than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave, or than was given to him, I will deposit the excess in the treasury (bayt al-mal). Then he came down from the pulpit, and a woman from nearby said: O Commander of the Faithful! Is the Book of Allah more entitled to be followed, or your word? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Book of Allah; but what has happened? She said: You have just forbidden people to give excessive dowers to women, whereas in the Book of Allah it says: "And you have given one of them a heap of treasure (qintar), then do not take anything from it." [Surah al-Nisa: 20] Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Everyone has more understanding than Umar (may Allah be pleased with him); he said this two or three times. Then he went back to the pulpit and said to the people: I had forbidden you to give excessive dowers, but a man may give from his wealth as much as he wishes.
This is munqati' (its chain is broken).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14336
Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The qintar (treasure) means 1,200 uqiyah.
12 uqiyah are 480 dirhams, and one uqiyah is 40 dirhams.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14337
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The qintar (treasure) is 12 thousand dirhams or one thousand dinars.
(b) Atiyyah narrates from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): It is 1,200 dinars, and of silver 1,200 mithqal.
(c) Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The qintar (treasure) means 70 thousand dinars.
(d) And Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It means 80 thousand.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14340
Zayd bin Aslam narrates from his father that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave Umm Kulthum bint Ali (may Allah be pleased with her) a dower of 40 thousand dirhams.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14341
Amr bin Dinar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to marry off his daughters for a dower of one thousand dinars, and would have jewellery worth 400 dinars made for them.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14342