Islamic Teachings on Ideal Family Life — Page 21
~ 21 ~ The permission to see each other is granted by the Holy Prophet Mu ḥ ammad (peace and blessings of All ā h be upon him) in the following Ḥ ad ī th: It is narrated by Mugh ī rah Bin Shu‘bah (peace be upon him) that he sent a message for marriage to a lady, and Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of All ā h be upon him) said, “See her, as seeing will increase the chance of affection and attachment between the two of you. ” (Tirmidh ī , Kit ā bun-Nik āḥ ) So, the role of the parents is to help the children and to put before them convincing reasons to accept that match, not to force them to marry the proposed match. The children must know that the chance of success in arranged marriages is much higher than for the other marriages. Essentials of Marriage (Nik āḥ ) Dowry (Mahr) Dowry is a payable gift to the bride by the bridegroom, which is fixed before the performance of Nik āḥ ceremony. It is the property of the bride. She can use it as she wishes. It is to recognize the right of wife to own property. It is preferable that the dowry is paid at the time of wedding, but it can also be paid at any suitable time after the wedding.