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What is the ruling of the Sharia regarding the ongoing dispute between the husband and his wife concerning the list of marital movables and the wedding jewelry (shabka), given that the husband signed an acknowledgment of receipt of the movables without specifying them, and after the wife mistreated him and he wishes to divorce her before consummating the marriage?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a lawful private meeting occurs between the spouses after the marriage contract, the wife is entitled to the full mahr (dowry). The proof for this is what Imam Ahmad narrated: "The Rightly Guided Caliphs ruled that whoever closes a door or lowers a curtain, the mahr becomes due and the 'iddah (waiting period) becomes obligatory." However, if no private meeting takes place, she is entitled to half of the stipulated mahr, including the network (jewelry) if the custom in the country considers it part of the mahr, based on the Almighty's saying: "And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation (dower) – then for them is half of what you specified, unless they forgo it or he in whose hand is the marriage contract forgoes it. And to forgo it is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget graciousness between you. Indeed, Allah, of what you do, is Seeing." If the wife is disobedient (nashiz), the husband can refrain from divorcing her until she performs khul' (dissolution of marriage initiated by the wife) and redeems herself with money, whether it is equal to what he gave her, or less, or more. Scholars have reached a consensus on the permissibility of khul' with the dowry that he gave her.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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