Working for Hire as Payment for Mahr

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع قَوْلُ شُعَيْبٍ ع‌ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُنْكِحَكَ إِحْدَى ابْنَتَيَّ هاتَيْنِ عَلى‌ أَنْ تَأْجُرَنِي ثَمانِيَ حِجَجٍ فَإِنْ أَتْمَمْتَ عَشْراً فَمِنْ عِنْدِكَ‌[1] أَيَّ الْأَجَلَيْنِ قَضَى قَالَ الْوَفَاءُ مِنْهُمَا أَبْعَدُهُمَا عَشْرُ سِنِينَ قُلْتُ فَدَخَلَ بِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْقَضِيَ الشَّرْطُ أَوْ بَعْدَ انْقِضَائِهِ قَالَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْقَضِيَ قُلْتُ لَهُ فَالرَّجُلُ يَتَزَوَّجُ الْ

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the meaning of the words of Shu‘ayb, ‘(Shu‘ayb) said to (Moses), “I want to give one of my daughters to you in marriage on the condition that you will work for me for eight years, but you may continue for two more years only out of your own accord’” (28:27) and that which one o

لَا يَحِلُّ النِّكَاحُ الْيَوْمَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ بِإِجَارَةٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ أَعْمَلُ عِنْدَكَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا سَنَةً عَلَى أَنْ تُزَوِّجَنِي ابْنَتَكَ أَوْ أُخْتَكَ قَالَ حَرَامٌ لِأَنَّهُ ثَمَنُ رَقَبَتِهَا وَ هِيَ أَحَقُّ بِمَهْرِهَا.

‘Marriage is not lawful in Islam for hiring and saying, ‘I will work for you up to so and so many years and you give to me in marriage your daughter or sister.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is unlawful because it is the price of her neck and in fact she is the rightful person for her mahr (dower).”’