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Is the retrieval of the mahr (dower) and gifts after the annulment of the engagement and the marriage contract included in the prophetic hadith: "The one who takes back his gift is like a dog that eats until it is full, then vomits, then returns to its vomit and eats it"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The husband cannot reclaim the full mahr (dowry) if he divorces his wife before consummation; she is entitled to half of it. If a private seclusion (khalwa) occurred where intercourse was possible, the full mahr becomes due. Gifts given after the marriage contract are subject to custom (urf) or a stipulated condition (shart). If neither custom nor a condition exists, they are considered a gift (hiba) that cannot be revoked unless it was a gift in exchange for something (hiba bi iwadh). As for engagement gifts, the preponderant opinion is that the suitor may reclaim them if the marriage does not take place, even if a contract was signed and then a divorce occurred before consummation.

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

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