What is Mehr (dower)? Learn its meaning in the Quran, the difference between prompt and deferred Mehr, the minimum amounts across schools of thought, and why it is the wife’s exclusive right.
Mehr, also called dower, is the gift a husband gives to his wife as an essential part of the Nikah. It is her exclusive right, mentioned directly in the Quran: "And give the women their dowries graciously" (Surah An-Nisa 4:4). Once given, it becomes her property entirely. Mehr takes two main forms: Mehr Muajjal, the prompt dower paid at or soon after the Nikah, and Mehr Muwajjal, the deferred dower paid later or upon a specified event. There is no fixed maximum. On the minimum, the schools of thought differ: the Hanafi position sets a minimum of ten dirhams of silver, while the Shafi‘i and Hanbali scholars accept any amount of genuine value. The guiding principle is moderation, as the most blessed marriage is the one with the least burden. Crucially, Mehr belongs to the wife alone, not her family, and she alone may choose to reduce or forgive part of it.