Hadiths Concerning Women and Dowries in Imam al-Zamakhshari’s (d. 538 AH) Book Rabi‘ al-Abrar: A Contemporary Hadith and Jurisprudential Study Addressing the Problem of Excessive Dowries and the Prevention of Marriage
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Abstract
This study offers a critical hadith and jurisprudential examination of the narrations on women and dowries presented in Chapter Eighty-Four of Rabi' al-Abrar wa Nusus al-Akhyar by Imam al-Zamakhshari (d. 538 AH). It seeks to address the contemporary challenges of excessive dowries and the obstruction of marriage (Adhl) by reassessing these classical narrations in light of both Islamic legal principles and modern legal practice .
The research adopts an Inductive and analytical methodology, collecting and evaluating the relevant narrations through the principles of hadith criticism while incorporating jurisprudential and rhetorical analysis. Particular attention is given to the interpretation of the Qur'anic verse concerning Qintar and the well-known report describing a woman's objection to Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab. The analysis indicates that several narrations discussed in this chapter, including those attributed to Aisha and Suwaid ibn Wahb, do not meet the standards of authentic hadith transmission, as their chains range from highly weak to abandoned .
The study further argues that these reports cannot serve as reliable evidence against state regulation of dowries. It also explores the relationship between the classical doctrine of guardianship transfer (Wilayah) and contemporary judicial procedures in personal status courts, using the Saudi Personal Status Law as a representative case. The study concludes that adopting flexible legal regulations for dowries is consistent with the higher objectives (Maqasid) of Islamic law, particularly in promoting marriage, protecting family stability, and reducing the social and economic burdens associated with excessive dowries..
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