The monetary value of a dowry to be paid in Islamic marriage in consonance with Nigeria’s current economy is now N13, 438, an Islamic cleric, Dr AbdulHameed Shuaib Agaka, has said.
He, however, noted that it is permissible for wealthy husbands to pay amounts higher than the official acceptable fee.
Speaking in his weekly Islamic radio programme monitored by PRNigeria in Ilorin, Mr Agaka, who was a former Scholar with the School for Arabic Studies and Bayero University, Kano, said payment of dowry was the most important aspect of an Islamic marriage.
According to him, marriage would become invalid and illegal without the dowry being paid.
He said: “The dowry in Islam is paid by the man to his wife-to-be as an honour and respect given to her to show his sincerity and commitment to the marriage which also signifies a sense of responsibility and obligation.”
The former don said prospective husbands could use cows, parcels of land, gold and other valuables as payment of a dowry for their intended wives.
He advised Moslem’s to always abide with the validities under the Islamic marriage to curb cases of unwanted children in the society.
Mr Abdulhameed who is also the Chief Imam of Agaka in Ilorin Emirate of Kwara State, condemned what he described as ostentatious spending in Islamic marriages, saying that what was most significant in any Islamic marriage was payment of dowry to the bride and adequate care and protection after marriage.
“It is only the payment of dowry that guarantees legal access and full control of wife by the husband,’’ the cleric said.
