Islam on Marital Rights — Page 34
34. ISLAM ON MARITAL RIGHTS financial standing of the bridegroom, and with the consent of both parties. Hazrat Mirza Bashirud Din Mahmud Ahmad, the second. Successor to the Promised Messiah (a. s. ) was of the opinion that the sum proposed for dowry should range between the bridegroom's income for six to 12 months. He once said, "Those who fix large dowries, only for show and fail to pay, are guilty of committing a sin. The Companions of the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. ) used to pay the dowry money in advance. Hence, the best thing is to pay it up in advance, if possible. Dowry is, in fact, a debt owed by the husband to his wife. ” (Alfazl: 15:1 1918). . As the records show, the fact is that the dowries of the. Companions of the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. ) were never big. . Austerity was the rule of their lives and they were able to pay this debt easily. But nowadays the trend is to have unduly excessive dowries with the result that in most cases the husband fails to pay it up. . Islam calls for the payment of the dowry money willingly and cheerfully. . PROVISION OF MAINTENANCE. Islam has clearly defined the spheres of action for both the husband and the wife. The wife's duty is to stay in the house and manage the domestic affairs, as is mentioned in the Holy Quran. "And Stay in Your Houses. " The duty of the husband is to earn and to provide for the needs of his wife and children. This is exactly what the word "qawwaam" signifies. “Qawwaam" is also answerable for the actions and behavior of his dependants. The reason why the role of a “qawwaam" is assigned to the male, is also mentioned in the Holy Quran. It says that they (men) have been made guardians over women "because of what they spend out of their wealth. " This shows that it is the responsibility of the husband to provide for his wife's subsistence to which she is entitled by law and in case a husband shirks this responsibility, the wife may sue him in court for the restoration of her right. . Nevertheless the standard and the worth of maintenance will not be according to the choice and the desire of the wife, but will be commensurate with the means of the husband. The Holy