Question 900: Can a woman who is disobedient (non-compliant) demand her dowry, and does disobedience lead to the forfeiture of the dowry?

155 13 Feb 2021
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✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَار عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه فِي الرَّجُلِ يَتَزَوَّجُ الْمَرْأَةَ وَ لَا يَجْعَلُ فِي نَفْسِهِ أَنْ يُعْطِيَهَا مَهْرَهَا فَهُوَ زِنًا

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 5, p. 383

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said regarding a man who marries a woman and does not intend in his heart to give her her dowry: This is fornication!

2 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قال: مَنْ أَمْهَرَ مَهْراً ثُمَّ لَا يَنْوِي قَضَاءَهُ كَانَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ السَّارِق

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 5, p. 383

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The person who sets a dowry but does not intend to pay it is like a thief!

3 قَالَ أَمِيرُالْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّ أَحَقَّ الشُّرُوطِ أَنْ يُوفَى بِهِا مَا اسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ بِهِ الْفُرُوجَ

📚 Faqih Vol. 3, p. 399

The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: Indeed, the most deserving of conditions to be fulfilled is that by which you have made the private parts lawful (i.e., the dowry)!

4 إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ كَثِيرِ بْنِ بَسَّام قال: قَال أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السُّرَّاقُ ثَلَاثَةٌ مَانِعُ الزَّكَاةِ وَ مُسْتَحِلُّ مُهُورِ النِّسَاءِ وَ كَذَلِكَ مَنِ اسْتَدَانَ دَيْناً وَ لَمْ يَنْوِ قَضَاءَهُ

📚 Khisal p. 153

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Thieves are three groups:

The one who withholds Zakat

And the one who considers women's dowries lawful (for himself)

And also the one who takes a loan but does not intend to pay it back!

5 غِيَاثِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيم عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه فِي الرَّجُلِ يَتَزَوَّجُ بِعَاجِلٍ و آجِلٍ قَالَ الْآجِلُ إِلَى مَوْتٍ أَوْ فُرْقَةٍ

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 5, p. 381

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said regarding a man who marries with a dowry that is both cash and delayed: The delayed part is until death or divorce!

6 عَبْدالْحَمِيد بْنِ عَوَّاضٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْداللَّه عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَتَزَوَّجُ الْمَرْأَةَ فَلَا يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ مَا يُعْطِيهَا فَيَدْخُلُ بِهَا قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ دَيْنٌ عَلَيْهِ لَهَا

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 5, p. 414

Abdulhamid said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a man who marries a woman and has nothing to give her, so he has intercourse with her. He said: There is no problem, this dowry is a debt on the man for the woman!

7 عُمَر بْنِ حَنْظَلَةَ قال: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَتَزَوَّجُ الْمَرْأَةَ شَهْراً بِشَيْ ءٍ مُسَمًّى فَتَأْتِي بَعْضَ الشَّهْرِ و لَا تَفِي بِبَعْضٍ قَالَ يُحْبَسُ عَنْهَا مِنْ صَدَاقِهَا مِقْدَارُ مَا احْتَسَبَتْ عَنْكَ إِلَّا أَيَّامَ حَيْضِهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَهَا

📚 Faqih Vol. 3, p. 461

Umar ibn Hanzala said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): I marry a woman with a specific thing for a month (temporary marriage), so she comes for part of the month and does not fulfill the other part.

The Imam said: As much as she has withheld (from coming to you), an equal amount from her dowry is withheld, except for the days of her menstruation, for that is for her!

8 عمر بْنِ حَنْظَلَة عن أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قال: قُلْتُ لَهُ أَتَزَوَّجُ الْمَرْأَةَ شَهْراً فَأَحْبِسُ عَنْهَا شَيْئاً فَقَالَ نَعَمْ خُذْ مِنْهَا بِقَدْرِ مَا تُخْلِفُكَ إِنْ كَانَ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ فَالنِّصْفَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ ثُلُثاً فَالثُّلُثَ

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 5, p. 461

Umar ibn Hanzala said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): I marry a woman for a month (temporary marriage). Should I withhold anything (from her dowry) from her? He said: Yes, take from her as much as she breaks her promise with you, if it is half of the month, then half of it (the dowry), and if it is one-third, then one-third (of the dowry)!

9 عن أَبِي عبداللَّه قال: قال رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ خَرَجَتْ مِنْ بَيْتِهَا بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ زَوْجِهَا فَلَا نَفَقَةَ لَهَا حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 5, p. 514

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: Any woman who leaves the house without her husband's permission has no right to maintenance until she returns!

✅ From the above narrations and the narrations on the ruling of dowry in the sections of khul' and mubarat and others, it is clear that the disobedience and non-compliance of a woman do not cause the forfeiture of the dowry or prevent the woman from demanding it. The dowry is a debt on the man which he is obligated to pay, and it is only the maintenance (nafaqa) that is forfeited in case of non-compliance, such as the woman leaving the house without permission and the like.

However, in a temporary marriage, if the woman breaks her promise regarding the days she has agreed to come, her husband can deduct from her dowry an amount equal to her non-compliance, except for the days of her menstruation, as her not coming during those days is not a valid reason to deduct from the dowry.