A woman came to the Messenger of Allah and said: "I present myself to you (for marriage)." So she stood for a long time. Then a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Marry her to me if you have no need of her." So he said: "Do you have anything to give her as a dowry?" He said: "I have nothing except this Izar." So the Messenger of Allah said: "If you give her your Izar then you will have no Izar, so search for something." He said: "I did not find anything." He said: "Search for something, even if it just an iron ring." He said: So he searched but he did not find anything. The Messenger of Allah said: "Do you have any Qur'an (memorized)?" He said: "Yes. This Surat and that Surat." And he named the Surat. So the Messenger of Allah said: "I marry her to you for what you have (memorized) of the Qur'an."
Hadith Commentary: The Marriage for Qur'an Memorization
This narration from Jami' at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 1114) demonstrates the flexibility and wisdom of Islamic marriage legislation, showing that the dowry (mahr) need not be material wealth but can be of spiritual value.
The Wisdom Behind the Prophetic Ruling
The Prophet's initial refusal of the man's garment as dowry shows concern for his dignity - a man without his izar (lower garment) would be left in an undignified state, thus the Prophet guided him toward alternatives.
The acceptance of Qur'an memorization as dowry elevates the status of religious knowledge and demonstrates that spiritual gifts hold immense value in Islam, sometimes surpassing material possessions.
Scholarly Perspectives on Dowry
Classical scholars note that this hadith establishes the permissibility of non-material dowries, including teaching Qur'an, religious instruction, or any beneficial knowledge that holds value.
The minimum requirement for a valid dowry is that it has some recognizable value (mal), and knowledge of Qur'an certainly fulfills this condition according to scholarly consensus.
Legal Implications and Conditions
This ruling applies specifically to what the husband can offer, not what the wife must accept. The woman's consent remains essential for the marriage's validity.
The memorization must be substantial enough to constitute meaningful value - not just a few verses - as indicated by the man specifying particular surahs he had memorized.