Woman in Islamic Shariah

9. Dowry ~ 211 ~ have given much wealth to your women do not take anything from it.” On hearing what the woman had to say, ‘Umar withdrew his words, saying, “The woman is right, ‘Umar is wrong.”177 It is clear then that although the fixing of higher amounts to be given as dower is not strictly forbidden from the legal point of view, this practice is generally considered to be socially undesirable. That is why the dowers of the Prophet and his Companions were kept very low. According to the records we have, there is no single instance of anyone of them having fixed substantial dowers either for himself or for his daughters. 177. Ibn Hajar al-’Athqalani, Fath al-Bari, 9/167. THE COMPANIONS AND THEIR MARRIAGES In the first era of Islam, marriage was a simple affair, without pomp or ceremony. Any expenditure incurred in its performance being quite minimal, it did not become a burden on either family. The wedding celebrations of the Companions were, in keeping with this principle, quite free of any ostentation. There is a saying of the Prophet that