Does the husband who divorces his wife have the right to reclaim the full mahr or half of it if he only saw his wife after the marriage contract, and decided to divorce before consummation?

It is desirable to see the woman before engagement to ensure lasting affection, based on the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "Look at her, for it is more likely to create affection between you." It is permissible to repeat looking at her, with or without her permission. If that is not possible, he may send a woman to describe her to him.

If the husband stipulated a certain characteristic in the woman, such as beauty, and it turns out to be otherwise, he has the option to annul the marriage according to the majority of jurists. His right to annulment is forfeited if he remains silent after becoming aware of the discrepancy. However, if he did not explicitly stipulate this, he has no option to annul unless there is a defect that necessitates annulment, such as leprosy or insanity.

If the marriage is annulled before consummation due to a defect or the absence of a condition, the woman receives nothing and must return any dowry she received. However, if the husband divorces her before consummation without a defect or delay in seeking annulment, he must pay her half of the stipulated dowry.