Why does Islam teach that the dowry (mahr) and financial support (nafaqah) are given in exchange for sexual intercourse, making the wife appear as a sexual commodity, based on concepts such as: "The most worthy of conditions to be fulfilled is that by which you make intimate relations lawful (istahlaltum bihi al-furuj)," and Allah's saying: "So for whatever you have enjoyed [of intimacy] from them, give them their prescribed compensation"?

The texts of the Sharia must be understood within an integrated system, for the Quran is harmonious, with parts confirming other parts. The dowry (mahr) in Islam is not merely a price for sexual enjoyment; rather, it is part of the marriage contract, which aims to build a stable family based on affection and mercy, to procreate, to achieve psychological comfort, to establish in-law relations, and to foster cooperation in matters of this world and religion. Enjoyment is one of its objectives, not the sole objective.

Islam has preserved the dignity of women by prohibiting fornication (zina), the dowry of a prostitute (mahr al-baghi), and temporary marriage (mut'ah marriage), and by liberating female slaves from being trafficked. The dowry in a legitimate marriage, however, establishes the family. It is the legitimate contract that permits cohabitation, not the dowry. If the contract is made without a dowry, it is valid, and the wife is entitled to a dowry of equivalence (mahr al-mithl).

Even though the dowry is sometimes called a wage (ajr), it is not like other rental contracts, as it is not permissible to agree to waive it initially. It is an ownership given to the woman, which she may waive after she owns it. Calling the dowry a wage is a matter of analogy, not reality, because the marriage contract is not a rental contract. That is why the Quran describes it as a "gift" (nihlah), meaning a grant and not a compensation, distinguishing it from prostitution.