9/17. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 1886 — Prophetic Dowry
Dowries of women
Dowry of the Prophet's Wives: A Simple Hadith on Mahr
Sunan Ibn Majah : 1886
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 1886
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ الدَّرَاوَرْدِيُّ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْهَادِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ كَمْ كَانَ صَدَاقُ نِسَاءِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَتْ كَانَ صَدَاقُهُ فِي أَزْوَاجِهِ اثْنَتَىْ عَشْرَةَ أُوقِيَّةً وَنَشًّا هَلْ تَدْرِي مَا النَّشُّ هُوَ نِصْفُ أُوقِيَّةٍ وَذَلِكَ خَمْسُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ .
Abu Salama Narrated from:
I asked Aishah: 'How much was the dowry of the wives of the Prophet?' She said: 'The dowry he gave to his wives was twelve Uqiyyah and a Nash (of silver). Do you know what a Nash is? It is one half of an Uqiyyah. And that is equal to to five hundred Dirham.' ”
[1] They say that Nash is twenty Dirham and it is also used to refer to half of something as in this case, half of an Uqiyyah .Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 1886In-book reference : Book 9, Hadith 42English translation : Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 1886
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 1886
This Hadith about the dowry of the Prophet's wives gives a specific amount reported by Aishah. Abu Salamah asked her how much the dowry of the wives of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was. She answered that it was twelve Uqiyyah and a Nash, then explained that a Nash is half an Uqiyyah, making the total five hundred Dirham. The main topic is mahr in Islam, and the narration gives a measured example rather than a long discussion. It helps readers see that dowry was known, named, and counted. The Hadith does not say that every dowry must be this amount. It simply reports what Aishah said about the dowry given to the Prophet's wives.
What we learn from this hadith
- The dowry of the Prophet's wives is reported with a clear amount.
- The narration shows that mahr was recognized and counted.
- The Hadith gives an example without stating that every dowry must be the same.
