How is the deferred dowry of a wife whose husband passed away calculated, if the deferred dowry was 600 Iraqi Dinars in 1950 CE, and the wife claimed that the deferred dowry should be calculated in gold (approximately 1.5 kilograms)? Is this permissible according to Sharia, and how is the deferred dowry calculated?
The principle is that the deferred dowry is to be paid in the agreed-upon currency, regardless of its increase or decrease in value. This is the view of the majority. However, others believe that if the value significantly decreases (reaching a third), the debt should be paid according to its value at the time the obligation arose, or reconciliation becomes necessary in such a case. A jurisprudential economic symposium recommended that if inflation is significant (reaching a third of the deferred debt amount), the solution is reconciliation between the two parties to distribute the difference arising from inflation by mutual consent. Therefore, it is advisable for the wife and her children to reconcile to distribute the difference resulting from the currency's depreciation by mutual consent.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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