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21 / 05 / 2026
The Woman's Dowry Waiver
If a woman waives her dowry and drops it, and then returns to claim it, does it then fall completely, or is it a fixed right that does not fall by waiver, knowing that the dowry was not explicitly named at the time of the contract, and the matter was left to their agreement? Is it permissible for the woman to waive a dowry of unknown value because it was not named?
Answer
I say, and with God's success: The dowry is the woman's right, and she has the right to waive it. If she waives it, she no longer has the right to claim it. However, usually in the relationship between spouses, it is a matter of courtesy, such that the wife says: I do not want the dowry from you, and she does not mean it literally; therefore, we rule that the dowry remains in the husband's liability and does not fall.
As for if they did not specify a dowry, then the dowry of the like must be given to the woman, which is the dowry with which her sister was married, for example. After that, the woman can either claim it or waive it, and God knows best.
