in Medina, six months after the death of her father, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when she was just over twenty years of age.
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A dowry is indispensable in marriage; the Prophet ﷺ instructed ʿAlī to give his wife a dowry, and when he could find nothing, he asked him about his coat of mail so that he might present it to her, even though the armor was part of his own property and something he needed.
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The narration recommends keeping the dowry light. If the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was married for such a modest item, how can anyone else justify extravagant demands?
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The dowry is not an essential quid pro quo in the marriage contract; thus ignorance of its amount at the time of contracting does not invalidate the marriage, reducing it is commendable, and the union is valid even without specifying it, though the dowry remains obligatory. In reality, the dowry is a gracious gift to the new bride—meant to console her and signal desire and esteem—hence Allah called it a niḥlah, a voluntary bestowal.
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The dowry may consist not only of cash and valuables but also of goods and property.
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The report also shows that equipment prepared for jihad—armor, weapons, or a horse—is not a dedicated trust that may not be disposed of; it may be sold or otherwise used as one sees fit.