Questioner:

In the city where I live, the price of dowries is extremely expensive which discourages the youth from getting married. What is your opinion as it relates to this issue from an Islamic perspective may you be rewarded with good?

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ Ibn Fawzān al-Fawzān:

This is incorrect and harmful. Raising the dowry and going to extremes has tremendous harms and is a burden for the Muslims, especially the poor. It puts an obstacle in the way of marriage and causes women to sulk as well as exposing them and young men to corruption and wrongdoing.

What is obligatory upon the Muslims is to fear Allāh the All Mighty and to make the dowry something easy. It is obligatory upon the woman and her guardian to be satisfied with the dowry which is easy since this has more blessings and good in it as has occurred in a ḥadīth, “The greatest of women in terms of blessings are those whose marital expenses are made easy.” 

When the dowries become extremely expensive, it has evil consequences.  Perhaps it causes hatred between the spouses since the husband remembers the enormous amount of wealth he spent and anytime his wife falls short he reprimands her and reminds her that he spent such and such on the dowry.

As for if the woman has a dowry which is easy, this brings about the husband’s love for her. So it is obligatory for the Muslims to pay attention to this great matter which is to make the dowries easy.