Garments for Each Other — Page 36
36 permissible to demand that the Haq Mehr should not be asked for and that it should be adjusted as part of her legal benefits. As the Promised Messiah (as) has said, the Haq Mehr should not be set more than a person’s means. The Qadha Board can calculate how much it should be for you. Once that is settled, it becomes a loan on you and a loan always has to be repaid. So, do not make excuses for not paying the Haq Mehr. It is a loan; it should be paid as a loan and it has nothing to do with the wife’s rights according to the law of the country. On one occasion the Promised Messiah (as) questioned how could a person who is worth only ten rupees pay a Haq Mehr of one lakh (one hundred thousand)? That is why the system of Nizam-e- Jama’at has the right to amend or determine the amount of the Haq Mehr according to the means of the person. Non- Ahmadis have made many strange customs and they have made a mockery out of religion. They have added absurd customs and trends; for example, in the time of the Promised Messiah (as), it was prevalent in India (and I took this example from there) that the Haq Mehr was two muns (approx. 80 lbs. ) of mosquito fat. Obviously, it is neither possible to collect that much fat, nor will the dowry be paid. The Promised Messiah (as) said this trend is absolutely wrong. We should be grateful that we have accepted the Promised Messiah (as) who has saved us from the verdicts and decisions made by these non-practicing scholars. Therefore, the couples getting married and their families should show gratitude by practicing truth, righteousness and having Qaul-e- Sadid (straightforward talk). Another wedding expense that has greatly increased is that of food, causing those with lesser means to struggle with the cost and to ask for help. Often the bride’s family spend extravagantly, as do the groom’s, even though in Pakistan it now forbidden by law to offer food or host such receptions. Yet people still do it and find new ways to do it. When they are told that the expense