Woman Between Islam and Western Society
9. Dowry
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borne all ‘Ali’ s expenses right from the time he
came to him, it was but natural that on the occasion
of his marriage, the Prophet, as his guardian,
should give him some necessary items with which
to set up his home.
DOMESTIC NECESSITIES
It is clear that the verb
jahhaza,
as used in the
traditions, never had the meaning which it has
acquired in modem times. In Arabic, it simply
meant the “furnishing of provisions.”
4
Nowadays, it is commonly held that at the time of
her marriage, a girl should be given an ample
dowry to enable her to set up her new home with
ease. But this is a wholly non-Islamic concept and
has no bearing whatsoever on the ideal of marriage
in Islam. Had it been a traditional Islamic practice,
we should certainly have seen the precedents set for
it in the Prophet’s own lifetime. As it happened, the
Prophet gave household items only to Fatimah,
largely on account of his close relationship with
‘Ali, and gave nothing at all to his other three
daughters on the occasion of their marriages. Had
dowry-giving been an established
sunnah
of the
