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.
(5) Al-Musnad 3/355. (6) Narrated by al-Daraqutni, in: Chapter on Dowry, from the Book of Marriage. Sunan al-Daraqutni 3/243. (7) Surah al-Nisa': 24. (8) In copy B there is an addition: "upon". (9) In copy M: "Maysarah". See the biography of Mubashshir in: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 10/32, 33. (10) In the original: "wa ruwiya" (and it was narrated). (11) Surah al-Nisa': 20. (12) Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter: There is no time limit for the dowry, whether it is much or little, from the Book of Dowry. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 7/233. (13) Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter: There is no time limit for the dowry, whether it is much or little, from the Book of Dowry. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 7/233. Sa'id ibn Mansur, in: Chapter: What has been said regarding the dowry. Al-Sunan 1/166, 167. And 'Abd al-Razzaq, in: Chapter: Excessive Dowry, from the Book of Marriage. Al-Musannaf 6/180. (14) Mask thawr (bull's skin): its hide.
أحمدُ، فى "المُسْنَدِ" (٥). وفى لَفْظٍ عن جابرٍ، قال: كُنَّا نَنْكِح على عَهْدِ رَسولِ اللَّه -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- على القَبْضَةِ من الطَّعَامِ. روَاه الأَثْرَمُ (٦). ولأنَّ قولَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {وَأُحِلَّ لَكُمْ مَا وَرَاءَ ذَلِكُمْ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ} (٧). يَدْخُلُ فيه القَلِيلُ والكَثِيرُ. ولأنَّه بَدَلُ (٨) مَنْفَعَتِها، فجاز ما تَرَاضَيَا عليه من المالِ، كالعَشرَةِ وكالأُجْرةِ. وحَدِيثُهم غيرُ صحيح، روَاه مُبَشِّرُ (٩) بن عُبَيْدٍ، وهو ضَعِيفٌ، عن الحَجَّاجِ بنِ أرْطاةَ، وهو مُدَلِّسٌ. وروَوْه (١٠) عن جابرٍ، وقد رَوَيْنا عنه خِلافَه. أو نَحْمِلُه على مَهْرِ امْرأةٍ بعَيْنِها، أو على الاسْتِحْبابِ. وقِياسُهم لا يَصِحُّ؛ فإنَّ النِّكاحَ اسْتِباحةُ الانْتِفَاعِ بالجُمْلةِ، والقَطْعُ إِتْلافُ عُضْوٍ دُونَ اسْتِباحَتِه، وهو عُقُوبةٌ وحَدٌّ، وهذا عِوَضٌ، فقِياسُه على الأعْواضِ أوْلَى. وأمَّا أكْثَرُ الصَّداق، فلا تَوْقِيتَ فيه، بإجْماعِ أهلِ العلمِ. قالَه ابنُ عبدِ البَرِّ. وقد قال اللَّهُ عزَّ وجلَّ: {وَإِنْ أَرَدْتُمُ اسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنْطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا} (١١). ورَوَى أبو حَفْصٍ بإسْنادِه، أَنَّ عُمَرَ أصْدَقَ أُمَّ كُلْثُومَ ابنةَ علىٍّ أَربَعِينَ أَلْفًا (١٢). وعن عمرَ، رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عنه أنَّه قال: خَرَجْتُ وأنا أُرِيدُ أن أنْهَى عن كَثْرةِ الصَّداقِ، فذَكَرْتُ هذه الآية: {وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنْطَارًا} (١٣). قال أبو صالحٍ: القِنْطارُ مائةُ رِطْلٍ. وقال أبو سعيدٍ الخُدْرِىّ: مِلْءُ مَسْكِ ثَوْرٍ (١٤) ذَهَبًا. وعن مجاهدٍ: سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ مِثْقالٍ.
(٥) المسند ٣/ ٣٥٥.(٦) وأخرجه الدارقطنى، فى: باب المهر، من كتاب النكاح. سنن الدارقطنى ٣/ ٢٤٣.(٧) سورة النساء ٢٤.(٨) فى ب زيادة: "على".(٩) فى م: "ميسرة". وانظر ترجمة مبشر فى: تهذيب التهذيب ١٠/ ٣٢، ٣٣.(١٠) فى الأصل: "وروى".(١١) سورة النساء ٢٠.(١٢) أخرجه البيهقى، فى: باب لا وقت فى الصداق كثر أو قل، من كتاب الصداق. السنن الكبرى ٧/ ٢٣٣.(١٣) أخرجه البيهقى، فى: باب لا وقت فى الصداق كثر أو قل، من كتاب الصداق. السنن الكبرى ٧/ ٢٣٣. وسعيد بن منصور، فى: باب ما جاء فى الصداق. السنن ١/ ١٦٦، ١٦٧. وعبد الرزاق، فى: باب غلاء الصداق، من كتاب النكاح. المصنف ٦/ ١٨٠.(١٤) مسك ثور: جلده.
