Tayyib checkHow is it calculated?
Mahr al-Azwāj 500 dirhams × 3.0618 g = 1,530.9 g × live silver gram rate
Mahr al-Fāṭimī 480 dirhams × 3.0618 g = 1,469.7 g × live silver gram rate
One ūqiyah is forty dirhams. Twelve ūqiyah is therefore 480 dirhams, and twelve and a half is 500.
Historical Mahr rates
Drawn from the same rate series as the IDCC rate and zakāt nisāb pages, so the three figures can never disagree.
What is the Mahr?
The mahr is the gift a groom gives his bride when they marry. It is not a fee, and it is not a dowry paid by her family. It travels in one direction only, from him to her, and once given it is hers absolutely.
Allah ﷻ commands it plainly in the Qurʾan: "And give the women their bridal gifts graciously." The word used, ṣaduqāt, carries the sense of sincerity and truthfulness. The mahr is the first act of the marriage, and it is meant to be an honest one.
Six things worth knowing
It is obligatory, not optional
The mahr is a right, not a courtesy. It cannot be skipped, and a marriage contracted on the condition of no mahr still obliges the husband to pay it.
It belongs to the bride alone
Not to her father, not to her family, not to the household. She may spend it, save it, invest it or give it away as she wishes, and no one may take it from her.
She has the right to set it
The amount is agreed between the couple before the nikāḥ, and the woman is entitled to name it, subject to the minimum in her school.
There is a minimum but no maximum
The Ḥanafī floor is ten dirhams of silver. Above that, there is no ceiling in any school, though the Sunnah discourages burdensome amounts.
It may be prompt or deferred
Mahr muʿajjal is given at the nikāḥ. Mahr muʾakhkhar is agreed now and paid later, and it remains a debt upon the husband until it is settled.
Silence does not cancel it
If no amount was named at the nikāḥ, mahr al-mithl applies: the customary mahr of women of comparable standing in her paternal family.
The IDCC publishes two mahr standards drawn from the household of the Prophet ﷺ. They are benchmarks, not obligations. A mahr of any lawful amount, agreed willingly and given sincerely, fulfils the right.
The evidence
Comprehensive scholarly analysis. Every figure the IDCC publishes is shown with its source and its grading.
1. Mahr al-Azwāj, the mahr of the Prophet's ﷺ wives
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1426
Vol. 1, p. 458
The highest grade of authenticity. Undisputed. This is the IDCC standard for Mahr al-Azwāj.
Conclusion: 500 dirhams, equal to 1,530.9 g, is authentic, undisputed, and mustaḥabb for those who can afford it.
2. Mahr al-Fāṭimī, the mahr of Sayyidah Fāṭimah (RA)
Narrations specific to the marriage of Fāṭimah (RA)
incl. Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah
Adopted by Muftī Rashīd Aḥmad Ludyānwī (Aḥsan al-Fatāwā 5:31) and Muftī Raḍāʾ al-Ḥaq (Fatāwā Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyyā 3:628) for Fāṭimah (RA) and the other daughters, with 500 dirhams for the wives.
Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 4:240
Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd 8:20
A tābiʿī narrating directly; reliable but with an incomplete chain. Establishes a ceiling rather than an exact figure: the wording permits less.
Mushkil al-Āthār 13:54
al-Ṭaḥāwī, d. 321/933 · Mustakhraj 4147, Abū ʿAwānah, d. 316/929
Favoured by Ashraf ʿAlī Thānwī (d. 1362/1943), Muftī Muḥammad Shafīʿ (d. 1396/1976) and Muftī Maḥmūd Ḥasan Gangohī (d. 1417/1996).
Musnad Aḥmad 8807
al-Nasāʾī 3348; ʿAbd al-Razzāq 10406
Graded authentic by Ibn Ḥibbān 4097 and al-Ḥākim 2724. Cited in Ḥanbalī texts.
Al-Kunā wa al-Asmāʾ
al-Dawlābī, d. 310/923
Reported without a supporting chain, but consistent with the ṣaḥīḥ report above.
Mirqaat al-Mafatih
Mulla Ali Qaari, d. 1014/1605 · Fataawa Raheemiyya, Mufti Lajpuri
Cultural calculation. AL-HIDAYAAH: "Most cautious view." No authentic hadith. (1 mithqal = 4.375 g)
Conclusion: The narrations specific to the marriage of Fāṭimah (RA) transmit twelve ūqiyah, that is, 480 dirhams.
The IDCC standard for Mahr al-Fāṭimī is 480 dirhams, equal to 1,469.7 g.
3. The IDCC standard
Why the IDCC uses these weights.
Both figures are stated in whole ūqiyah, twelve and twelve and a half, exactly as the narrations transmit them.
The story of ʿAlī's (RA) sacrifice
When ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (RA) sought to marry Fāṭimah (RA), the beloved daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, he had nothing to give. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Do you have anything?" ʿAlī (RA) replied that he had nothing. The Prophet ﷺ then said: "Where is your ḥuṭamiyyah armour?"
He sold it, and brought what it fetched. That is the whole of it: a young man of no wealth, a battle-worn coat of mail, and the most honoured marriage in the history of Islam.
Understanding Dirham weights
Scholars hold different views on the exact weight of a dirham. Here are the main positions.
MOST COMMON
IDCC STANDARD3.0618 g
Endorsed by most Ḥanafī scholars of the Indian subcontinent.
ALTERNATIVE
2.975 g
Preferred by many Arab scholars.
CONSERVATIVE
3.402 g
Held by some contemporary scholars.
THE QURʾANIC FOUNDATION
وَآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً فَإِنْ طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ نَفْسًا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيئًا مَرِيئًا
"And give the women their bridal gifts graciously. But if they willingly give up anything of it to you, then take it in satisfaction and ease."
Qurʾan, Sūrah al-Nisāʾ 4:4
The word ṣaduqāt carries the sense of something truthful and wholehearted. The mahr is a gift from the groom to the bride, given graciously, and it belongs to her alone.
The minimum Mahr in the four madhāhib
There is no maximum mahr in any school. On the minimum, the jurists differ. Two schools fix a floor; two do not.
The schools that fix no minimum are not treating the mahr lightly. Their position is that the obligation attaches to something of real value rather than to a particular quantity, so that no man is prevented from marrying by poverty.
A single one-ounce coin of 999 fine silver satisfies the Ḥanafī floor and, by extension, every other school.
Weights shown use the IDCC dirham of 3.0618 g and the dīnār of 4.25 g. Figures for schools other than the Ḥanafī are given for comparison; for a ruling in your own madhhab, consult a qualified scholar.
Historical context and wisdom
ʿUMAR'S (RA) SERMON
"Do not set high dowries for your women. Had it been a mark of honour in this world or a matter of piety before Allah, your Messenger ﷺ would have been the first to do so."
Sunan Ibn Mājah 1887; Abū Dāwūd 2106; al-Nasāʾī 3349. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Tirmidhī 1114, Ibn Ḥibbān 4620 and al-Ḥākim 2725.
EASE IN MARRIAGE
"The best marriage is the one that is easiest." In another narration: "The best dowry is the one that is easiest."
ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir (RA). Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān. Cited by Jamiatul Ulama KZN. A further narration to the same effect, that the most blessed marriage is the one of least expense, is recorded at Musnad Aḥmad 24529 via a weak chain.
TO A MAN WITH NOTHING
"Seek something, even if it be a ring of iron."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
THE RIGHT IS HERS
"And give the women their bridal gifts graciously. But if they willingly give up anything of it to you, then take it in satisfaction and ease."
Qurʾan, Sūrah al-Nisāʾ 4:4. The concession is hers to grant, not his to assume.
A companion once came to the Prophet ﷺ wishing to marry, with nothing to give. He ﷺ did not turn him away, but told him to seek something, even a ring of iron. The mahr had to be real, and it had to be given. It never had to be large. The Prophet ﷺ, despite his station, chose measured amounts for his own household. That is the lesson: the mahr must be real and it must be given, but it was never meant to be a barrier to marriage.
The weight of the obligation
The Sunnah is generous towards the man who cannot give much. It is severe towards the man who can give and does not.
"And if you wish to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount, do not take back from it anything. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin?"
Qurʾan, Sūrah al-Nisāʾ 4:20. The mahr is not recoverable, however large it was and however the marriage ends.
WHAT THE JURISTS DERIVE FROM THIS
A nikāḥ contracted without mentioning the mahr is valid, but the mahr still becomes due. Stipulating that there will be no mahr does not remove the obligation.
Once the couple have been in valid seclusion, or if either passes away, the full stipulated mahr becomes wājib.
If the husband divorces before seclusion, half the stipulated mahr is due.
A deferred mahr is a debt. It does not expire, and it is settled from the estate before inheritance is distributed.
A wife may forgive part or all of her mahr, and Allah permits this. She may never be pressured, guilted or shamed into doing so. A waiver extracted under pressure is not a waiver.
Summarised from the rulings of Jamiatul Ulama Gauteng and Jamiatul Ulama KZN, linked in further reading below. These are Ḥanafī rulings; consult a scholar of your own school.
Practical guidance for modern couples
Which amount to choose?
Mahr al-Azwāj, 1,530.9 g of silver
The mahr of the Prophet ﷺ to his blessed wives, resting on the most authentic narration, in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Recommended for those who can afford it.
Mahr al-Fāṭimī, 1,469.7 g of silver
The mahr of Sayyidah Fāṭimah (RA), for those who wish to follow the example of the Prophet's ﷺ own daughter.
The Ḥanafī minimum, approximately 30.6 g of silver
Ten dirhams of pure silver, the classical legal floor recorded in al-Hidāyah, Badāʾiʿ al-Ṣanāʾiʿ and Radd al-Muḥtār. A single one-ounce coin meets and slightly exceeds it.
Financial consideration
The Prophet ﷺ emphasised affordability. Choose what does not cause hardship.
Regional compliance
Ensure compliance with local civil requirements while maintaining Islamic principles.
Modern purchasing power consideration
Some scholars note that silver's purchasing power has decreased since the Prophetic era. While the traditional silver-based calculation remains valid, some suggest also considering:
Gold equivalent calculations. In the Prophetic era 500 dirhams was equivalent to 50 dīnārs, approximately 212.5 g of gold at 4.25 g per dīnār
Purchasing power adjustments based on historical research
Regional cost of living factors
Ultimately this should be a mutual decision between the families, guided by the Islamic principles of fairness and consideration.
Civil regulation of Mahr
Several jurisdictions regulate mahr and wedding expenditure by statute. In the United Arab Emirates, mahr falls under the federal personal status framework, and Federal Law No. (21) of 1997 addresses the determination of dowry in the marriage contract and the expenses connected with it.
Islamic mahr calculations are based on silver weight rather than currency amounts, and may differ from any figure set in civil regulation. The IDCC publishes weights, not legal advice. Couples should confirm the requirements currently in force in their own jurisdiction with a qualified local advisor, and their religious obligations with a qualified scholar.
Further reading
Detailed treatments of mahr from established institutions of Islamic scholarship.
Mahr, Dowry, Jamiatul Ulama Gauteng
A thorough treatment of when the mahr becomes wājib in full, when half is due, and what applies when no amount was stipulated at the nikāḥ.
Stipulation of the Mahr, Jamiatul Ulama KZN
Fatwa of Muftī Muḥammed Ḥamzah Farūqī and Muftī Ṭāhir Hansa on who holds the right to stipulate the mahr, and how mahr al-mithl is determined.
Financial Indicators, Wifāqul ʿUlamā South Africa
Published mahr and zakāt figures in South African rand, updated regularly, calculated on the same dirham weight of 3.0618 g used by the IDCC.
Mahr Fāṭimī or Mahr Azwāj, Islamic Portal
The most detailed treatment in English of the narrations behind both figures.
Scholarly references
Works cited for the weights, the gradings and the rulings on this page.
Mahr Fāṭimī or Mahr Azwāj, Islamic Portal
The detailed treatment of the narrations and the scholarly positions.
Calculating Mahr Fāṭimī of the Past, Islamic Portal
On historical valuation and the dirham-to-dīnār equivalence.
Mahr Azwāj and Mahr Fāṭimī: detailed paper with calculations and addendum (PDF)
Source copy from Islamic Portal, with an IDCC mirror.
Al-Hidāyah No. 11 (PDF)
Sheikhul Ḥadīth Hadhrat Moulana Fazlur Rahman Saheb.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Marriage
UAE Federal Law No. (21) of 1997
Determining the Dowry in the Marriage Contract and the Expenses thereof.
Mahr, Dowry, Jamiatul Ulama Gauteng
On the obligation of the mahr, the ten-dirham minimum, valid seclusion, and mahr al-mithl.
Stipulation of the Mahr, Jamiatul Ulama KZN
Muftī Muḥammed Ḥamzah Farūqī and Muftī Ṭāhir Hansa, citing al-Muḥīṭ al-Burhānī 3:84.
Financial Indicators, Wifāqul ʿUlamā South Africa
Mahr and zakāt figures in rand, published on the same dirham weight of 3.0618 g.
Aḥsan al-Fatāwā 5:31, Muftī Rashīd Aḥmad Ludyānwī
Fatāwā Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyyā 3:628, Muftī Raḍāʾ al-Ḥaq
Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyyā, South Africa. The IDCC standard for Mahr al-Fāṭimī follows this ruling.
al-Muḥīṭ al-Burhānī 3:84
Cited for the determination of mahr al-mithl where no amount was stipulated.
Fatāwā Maḥmūdiyyah 11:201, Muftī Maḥmūd Ḥasan Gangohī
al-Hidāyah, al-Marghīnānī · Badāʾiʿ al-Ṣanāʾiʿ, al-Kāsānī · Radd al-Muḥtār, Ibn ʿĀbidīn
Ḥanafī works cited for the minimum mahr of ten dirhams.
al-Mudawwanah and Mukhtaṣar Khalīl
Mālikī works cited for the minimum of three dirhams.
al-Majmūʿ, al-Nawawī · al-Mughnī, Ibn Qudāmah
Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī works cited on the absence of a fixed minimum.
Additional academic analysis is available through the IDCC research portal.
How IDCC provides Mahr services
The Islamic Digital Certification Council provides accurate, up-to-date Mahr calculations based on:
Scholarly guidance
Consultation with experts in Islamic jurisprudence, with every weight signed off before publication.
Real-time silver prices
Live market data for accurate calculations across four currencies.
Published evidence
The sources and gradings behind every figure we publish.
Regional adaptation
Understanding of local customs and regulations.
Educational resources
Comprehensive information about the historical and religious significance.
API access
For Islamic platforms and applications requiring Mahr calculations.
API integration
Islamic platforms and applications can integrate the IDCC Mahr Rate API to provide accurate, real-time calculations. Contact us for API access and documentation.
CONTACT THE IDCC FOR
Personalised Mahr consultations
API integration for your platform
Educational workshops on Islamic marriage practices
Regional adaptation guidance
MAHR CERTIFICATION
A mahr paid in certified silver can be recorded against a Tayyib ID, so the weight and fineness are on the register at the time of the nikāḥ.