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What is the ruling of the Sharia concerning a husband who has not paid the dowry, has not committed to furnishing the apartment, and has not returned to his wife the money he borrowed from her private funds, knowing that his salary is high?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Among the most emphasized financial rights a woman has over her husband is the mahr (dowry). She is entitled to half of it upon the marriage contract and the full amount upon consummation. It is an obligatory right enjoined by Allah Almighty in His saying: "And give women their sadaqat (dowries) as a free gift." The husband's procrastination in paying it, despite his ability, is an injustice. It is forbidden for him to delay repaying her debt if he is wealthy, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "The procrastination of the rich is an injustice." He is obligated to fulfill the agreed-upon conditions unless they permit what is forbidden, forbid what is permissible, or contradict the essence of the contract. The conditions most worthy of fulfillment are those by which intimacy becomes permissible.

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

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