Ahmad in al-Musnad (5). In a narration from Jabir, he said: We used to marry during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for a handful of food. Reported by al-Athram (6). This is because the statement of Allah the Almighty: {And lawful to you are [all others] beyond these, [provided] that you seek them [in marriage] with [gifts from] your property} (7) includes both small and large amounts. Furthermore, it is a substitute (8) for her benefit, so whatever amount of wealth they mutually agree upon is permitted, like ten [dirhams] or wages. Their hadith is not authentic; it was narrated by Mubashshir (9) ibn 'Ubayd, who is weak, from al-Hajjaj ibn Artah, who is a mudallis (one who obscures the chain of narration). They also narrated it from Jabir, while we have narrated the opposite from him. Or, we may interpret it as referring to the dowry of a specific woman, or as a matter of recommendation (istihbab). Their analogy is invalid; for marriage is the authorization of general benefit, whereas cutting is the destruction of a limb without authorizing its benefit; it is a punishment and a hadd (prescribed penalty), while this [dowry] is a compensation, so analogizing it to compensations is more appropriate. As for the maximum amount of dowry, there is no limit to it, by the consensus of the people of knowledge. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr stated this. Allah the Almighty has said: {But if you want to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a qintar [a great amount of wealth], do not take [back] from it anything} (11). Abu Hafs narrated with his chain of authority that 'Umar gave Umm Kulthum, daughter of 'Ali, forty thousand [dirhams] as a dowry (12). On the authority of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: I set out intending to forbid the excessiveness of dowries, then I recalled this verse: {And you have given one of them a qintar} (13). Abu Salih said: A qintar is one hundred ratls. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: A bull's skin filled (14) with gold. From Mujahid: seventy thousand mithqals.