Woman in Islamic Shariah

9. Dowry ~ 215 ~ Islam, one being mahr mu’ajjal, which is handed over at the time of the marriage, and the other being mahr mu’ajjal, which is to be given later, but at a definite point in time. That is, the man must fix a date for its payment, and must abide by it. The third custom, according to which a dower is to be given, without any time being appointed for the fulfillment of this due, is not in accordance with the Islamic shari’ah. Whatever is done on this basis is certainly unlawful. 181. Thomas Patric Hughes, Dictionary of Islam, p. 91. SURE SOLUTION What parents try to achieve — unsuccessfully — through the fixing of heavy dowers, is stability in their daughters’ marriages. But such stability relates more to the girl’s appreciation of the realities of life than to the manipulation of the dower, or to any other material consideration. It is unfortunate that a great deal of wishful thinking is indulged in in our present society, whereas what is needed is a keener awareness of the root cause of familial and societal problems. The commonest manifestation of these