Is it permissible to request or give an exorbitant and excessive mahr (dowry), such as 100,000 rupees and 75 baflan of gold, in marriage, as is common in some Indian regions, and what is the solution to this problem?

Allah commanded men to give women their dowry as an obligatory duty, in accordance with His saying: "And give women their dowries with good heart." This was affirmed by the noble Sunnah of the Prophet. The dowry is one of the conditions for the validity of marriage, and it is paid by the husband to the wife, not the other way around. This aligns with human nature, as the guardianship of men over women is based on Allah's preference for them and their spending from their wealth, as stated in His saying: "Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has preferred some of them over others and by [right of] what they spend from their wealth." If a woman willingly forfeits her dowry or part of it, the husband may take it. For a woman to pay money to a man to marry her is contrary to both Islamic law and human nature. To solve this problem, the efforts of scholars, preachers, media outlets, and guidance initiatives must combine to correct this behavior in accordance with Islamic law.