Considering the value of Rupee whilst paying Mahr

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

  What have Islamic scholars ruled on the following query? My wedding took place around 36 years ago and Mahr of Rs. 11,000 was agreed upon. I had not yet paid the Mahr; but now when I wanted to pay it, then my wife said that 11,000 was agreed upon at that time but now, the value of rupee has depreciated . Therefore, now I will take 150,000 rupees as Mahr from you. Now I want to know whether we will consider the appreciation of the value of Rupee in paying Mahr and how much Mahr would I need to pay?Questioner: Sayyid Abdul Mukhtar (P, I, Baab Colony, Bab-ul-Madinah Karachi)

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

  The amount of Mahr which needs to be given is the amount which was fixed. Here, the value of currency depreciation will not be considered. Therefore, Sadr-ush-Shari’ah, Mufti Amjad Ali A’zami رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه says: The very minimum amount of Mahr is 10 Dirhams[30.618 grams of silver], whether that be in coins or actual silver, or some goods equivalent to its value. If some other thing apart from dirhams is agreed for Mahar, then the value of it at the time of the Nikah should not be lower than 10 dirhams. If it was worth that amount at the time and it depreciated afterwards, then the woman will receive the same, she does not have the right to return.(Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 2, pp. 64, Maktaba-tul-Madinah, Bab-ul-Madinah, Karachi)

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ  عَزَّوَجَلَّ  وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered by:Abu Mustafa, Muhammad Majid Raza Attari Madani

Verified by:Mufti Fuzail Raza Attari