The Rights of a Divorced Woman of mahr (dower) with Whom He has not Gone to Bed

إِذَا طَلَّقَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا فَقَدْ بَانَتْ مِنْهُ وَ تَتَزَوَّجُ إِنْ شَاءَتْ مِنْ سَاعَتِهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَ فَرَضَ لَهَا مَهْراً فَلَهَا نِصْفُ الْمَهْرِ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَرَضَ لَهَا مَهْراً فَلْيُمَتِّعْهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a man divorces his wife before going to bed with her, she becomes stranger to him and she can marry if she wants in the same hour after divorce. If mahr (dower) is set, she deserves one-half of it but if mahr (dower) is not set he must benefit her.’”

فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ وَ إِنْ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَ قَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً فَنِصْفُ ما فَرَضْتُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يَعْفُونَ أَوْ يَعْفُوَا الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ عُقْدَةُ النِّكاحِ‌[1] قَالَ هُوَ الْأَبُ أَوِ الْأَخُ أَوِ الرَّجُلُ يُوصَى إِلَيْهِ وَ الَّذِي يَجُوزُ أَمْرُهُ فِي مَالِ الْمَرْأَةِ فَيَبْتَاعُ لَهَا فَتُجِيزُ فَإِذَا عَفَا فَقَدْ جَازَ.

“The following are the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious. ‘If you divorce them before you touch them and if you have set mahr (dower) for them that must be paid them one-half of it is payable unless it is waved or one who has authority in the matter of marriage waves it.’ (2:237) Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has s

عَلَيْهِ نِصْفُ الْمَهْرِ إِنْ كَانَ فَرَضَ لَهَا شَيْئاً وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَرَضَ لَهَا فَلْيُمَتِّعْهَا عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا يُمَتَّعُ مِثْلُهَا مِنَ النِّسَاءِ قَالَ وَ قَالَ فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ أَوْ يَعْفُوَا الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ عُقْدَةُ النِّكاحِ‌ قَالَ هُوَ الْأَبُ وَ الْأَخُ وَ الرَّجُلُ يُوصَى إِلَيْهِ وَ الرَّجُلُ يَجُوزُ أَمْرُهُ فِي مَالِ الْمَرْأَةِ فَيَبِيعُ لَهَا وَ يَشْتَرِي لَهَا فَإِذَا عَفَ

“About the case of a man who divorces his wife before going to bed with her, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has stated this Hadith. ‘He owes to her one-half of mahr (dower) if he has set something for her; but if he has not set anything for her he must benefit her like the benefits that similar women receive. 5 The words of Al

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً عَلَى مِائَةِ شَاةٍ ثُمَّ سَاقَ إِلَيْهَا الْغَنَمَ ثُمَّ طَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا وَ قَدْ وَلَدَتِ الْغَنَمُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَتِ الْغَنَمُ حَمَلَتْ عِنْدَهُ رَجَعَ بِنِصْفِهَا وَ نِصْفِ أَوْلَادِهَا وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ الْحَمْلُ عِنْدَهُ رَجَعَ بِنِصْفِهَا وَ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنَ الْأَوْلَادِ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ. - مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ م

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and sets a mahr (dower) of one hundred sheep. He then delivers them to her, then divorces her before going to bed with her and the sheep have given birth to their young. He (the Imam) said, ‘If the sheep had become pregnant with him she mu

هَاتَانِ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمَا مَنْ يُوثَقُ بِهِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ فَإِنْ كُنَّ عَلَى حَالِهِنَّ كَمَا أُدْخِلْنَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ لَهُنَّ نِصْفَ الصَّدَاقِ الَّذِي فَرَضَ لَهَا وَ لَا عِدَّةَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْهُ.

“About the case of a man who marries a non-virgin woman or a virgin one and divorces her in the hour that she enters his house, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has stated this Hadith. ‘Trustworthy women must examine them and if they find such woman with the condition before she came to him then she deserves one-half of the mahr (do

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ فَأَعْطَاهَا عَبْداً لَهُ آبِقاً وَ بُرْدَ حِبَرَةٍ بِالْأَلْفِ الَّتِي أَصْدَقَهَا فَقَالَ إِذَا رَضِيَتْ بِالْعَبْدِ وَ كَانَ قَدْ عَرَفَتْهُ فَلَا بَأْسَ إِذَا هِيَ قَبَضَتِ الثَّوْبَ وَ رَضِيَتْ بِالْعَبْدِ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا قَالَ لَا مَهْرَ لَهَا وَ تَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ خَمْسَمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ يَكُون

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and sets a mahr (dower) of one thousand dirham and gives her a runaway slave and a gown of Hibr for the one thousand set as mahr (dower). He (the Imam) said, ’If she knows about the slave and has agreed, then it is not unlawful if she has

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً وَ جَعَلَ صَدَاقَهَا أَبَاهَا عَلَى أَنْ تَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ ثُمَّ طَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا مَا يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنَّمَا لَهَا نِصْفُ الْمَهْرِ وَ أَبُوهَا شَيْخٌ قِيمَتُهُ خَمْسُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ لَوْ لَا أَنْتُمْ لَمْ أَبِعْهُ بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ فَقَالَ لَا يُنْظَرُ فِي قَوْلِهِ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and has set her father as her mahr (dower) and that she must return one thousand dirham to him. He then divorces her before going to bed with her. What must she return to him when she deserves only one- half of the mahr (dower )? Her fathe

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ فَأَدَّاهَا إِلَيْهَا فَوَهَبَتْهَا لَهُ وَ قَالَتْ أَنَا فِيكَ أَرْغَبُ فَطَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا قَالَ يَرْجِعُ عَلَيْهَا بِخَمْسِمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ.

‘He must return to her five hundred dirham.’”

سَأَلْتُ- أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً فَأَمْهَرَهَا أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ وَ دَفَعَهَا إِلَيْهَا فَوَهَبَتْ لَهُ خَمْسَمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ رَدَّتْهَا عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا قَالَ تَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ الْخَمْسَمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ الْبَاقِيَةَ لِأَنَّهَا إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ لَهَا خَمْسُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ فَهِبَتُهَا إِيَّاهَا لَهُ وَ لِغَيْرِهِ سَوَاءٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and sets a mahr (dower) of one thousand dirham and pays it to her. She then keeps five hundred and returns five hundred to him as gift. He then divorces before going to bed with her. He (the Imam) said, ‘She must return the other five hund

فِي رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً وَ أَمْهَرَهَا أَبَاهَا وَ قِيمَةُ أَبِيهَا خَمْسُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ عَلَى أَنْ تُعْطِيَهُ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ ثُمَّ طَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا قَالَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا شَيْ‌ءٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who marries a woman and sets her (slave) father as her mahr (dower). His price is five hundred dirham; then he divorces before going to bed with her.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She does not owe anything to him.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا قَالَ عَلَيْهِ نِصْفُ الْمَهْرِ إِنْ كَانَ فَرَضَ لَهَا شَيْئاً وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَرَضَ لَهَا شَيْئاً فَلْيُمَتِّعْهَا عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا يُمَتَّعُ بِهِ مِثْلُهَا مِنَ النِّسَاءِ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who divorces his wife before going to bed with her. He (the Imam) said, ’He owes to her one-half of the mahr (dower) if he has set mahr (dower) for her, but if he has not set anything for her then he must benefit her in a fair manner as it is done with women

إِنْ كَانَ قَوَّمَهَا عَلَيْهَا يَوْمَ تَزَوَّجَهَا فَإِنَّهُ يُقَوَّمُ الْعَبْدُ الْبَاقِي بِقِيمَتِهِ ثُمَّ يُنْظَرُ مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الْقِيمَةِ الَّتِي تَزَوَّجَهَا عَلَيْهَا فَتَرُدُّ الْمَرْأَةُ عَلَى الزَّوْجِ ثُمَّ يُعْطِيهَا الزَّوْجُ النِّصْفَ مِمَّا صَارَ إِلَيْهِ.

“This is the case of a man who marries a woman for a slave with his wife. He delivers them to her then the wife of the slave dies in the possession of the woman; then he divorces her before going to bed with her. Abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal (a.s.), has said, ‘If he had appraised her for her on the day of marriage he then a

فِي الْمَرْأَةِ تَزَوَّجُ عَلَى الْوَصِيفِ فَيَكْبَرُ عِنْدَهَا فَيَزِيدُ أَوْ يَنْقُصُ ثُمَّ يُطَلِّقُهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا- قَالَ عَلَيْهَا نِصْفُ قِيمَتِهِ يَوْمَ دُفِعَ إِلَيْهَا لَا يُنْظَرُ فِي زِيَادَةٍ وَ لَا نُقْصَانٍ.

‘If a woman marries for a woman as mahr (dower) who grows with her whereby her price increases or reduces, then he divorces her before going to bed with her. She must give back half of the price of the day it was given to her regardless of any increase or decrease.’”

فِي الرَّجُلِ يُعْتِقُ أَمَتَهُ فَيَجْعَلُ عِتْقَهَا مَهْرَهَا ثُمَّ يُطَلِّقُهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا قَالَ تَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ نِصْفَ قِيمَتِهَا تُسْتَسْعَى فِيهَا.

“About the case of a man who sets his slave-girl free then sets her freedom as her mahr (dower) then divorces before going to bed with her. He (the Imam) said, ‘She must return one-half of her price and must work to pay the rest.’”