Daily Times
July 3, 2021
Against the backdrop of pre-Islamic women being traded as mere chattels in the Arabian Peninsula, the Holy Quran’s concept of Mehr (4:4) was both liberating and redemptive. For the first time, a religion was asking its believers to respect the woman they were tying the wedding knot with; give her monetary security for the rainy days. If nothing else, the gift would simply help keep a tight rein on the capricious practices of polygamy and divorce. Alas! 1400 years later, we are still going in circles; tossing around ways to avoid something that even our Holy Prophet was ordained to pay. Recently, an interesting case brought before the Lahore High Court wanted relief from transferring the house given in Mehr. Justice Anwar Hussain took it upon himself to educate the public about the most important clause of a Muslim marriage covenant. While the honourable judge should be appreciated for throwing light upon this legal requirement in the most elaborate manner