Excerpted from: Aḥkām wa Masā’il – In the Light of Qur’an and Sunnah
Author: Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbani
Is it permissible to delay the payment of dowry (mahr)? And is zakāt obligatory on it?
Yes, delaying the payment of dowry (mahr) is permissible, and giving it after a certain time is valid and acceptable in Islam.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿ یَا أَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ ﴾
[Surah al-Mā’idah: 1]
Translation:
“O you who believe! Fulfill all contracts.”
Thus, it is essential to honor contracts and their conditions. If someone stipulates that the mahr will be paid later (deferred mahr), it is permissible — whether the entire mahr or a part of it is deferred.
However, the following conditions apply:
① Separation through divorce
② Annulment of the marriage contract
③ Death (of either spouse)
If the deferred mahr reaches the nisāb of zakāt, and the woman has full ownership and the mahr is due, then zakāt becomes obligatory upon her.
Otherwise, zakāt is not due on it.
Author: Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbani
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to delay the payment of dowry (mahr)? And is zakāt obligatory on it?
❖ Answer:
Yes, delaying the payment of dowry (mahr) is permissible, and giving it after a certain time is valid and acceptable in Islam.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿ یَا أَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ ﴾
[Surah al-Mā’idah: 1]
Translation:
“O you who believe! Fulfill all contracts.”
Thus, it is essential to honor contracts and their conditions. If someone stipulates that the mahr will be paid later (deferred mahr), it is permissible — whether the entire mahr or a part of it is deferred.
However, the following conditions apply:
- If a specific time was agreed upon for the payment, it is obligatory to fulfill it at the appointed time and discharge the obligation appropriately.
- If no time period was specified for the deferred mahr, then its payment becomes binding upon the husband in the following situations:
① Separation through divorce
② Annulment of the marriage contract
③ Death (of either spouse)
❖ Zakat on the Deferred Mahr
If the deferred mahr reaches the nisāb of zakāt, and the woman has full ownership and the mahr is due, then zakāt becomes obligatory upon her.
Otherwise, zakāt is not due on it.
❖ Additional Guidelines
- If people treat this matter with seriousness and fulfill its conditions, many complications and hardships in marriages could be avoided.
- A woman has the right to waive her mahr willingly, with full consent and without any coercion. However, if she is intimidated or forced to do so, such remission is invalid, and the mahr remains due upon the husband.
- Some individuals wrongly attempt to force their wives to forgive the deferred mahr by threatening divorce. Such behavior is completely against Islamic teachings and is impermissible.
