treat marriage as a form of trade or haggling; its aim is the union itself and the blessings that flow from it.
So the ḥadiths in which grooms presented their brides with a scoop of barley porridge, a few dates, a pair of sandals, an iron ring, or ten dirhams—all of them show that the dower is a means, not an end.
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Ḥadith no. 901 therefore teaches that the best dower is the one that is simplest, easiest, and least costly for the groom.
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In Sunan Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasāʾī, and al-Ḥākim’s Mustadrak—al-Ḥākim declaring it authentic—Abū al-ʿAjfāʾ al-Sahmī reports: ‘ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb addressed us and said, “Do not exaggerate in the dowers of women. Had it been an honor in this world or an act of piety with Allah, the Prophet ﷺ would have been the most entitled to it; yet none of his wives, nor any of his daughters, received more than twelve uqiyyahs.”’ Al-Ḥākim said, ‘Its chain is sound.’ Shaykh al-Albānī graded the report ṣaḥīḥ, and Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir affirmed that conclusive evidence establishes its authenticity.
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Al-Albānī also said: The oft-repeated story of a woman objecting to ʿUmar is weak and objectionable. Al-Bayhaqī judged its chain broken, adding, ‘Besides being broken, it is weak on account of Mujālid ibn Saʿīd, and its wording is rejected, for the verse in question in no way contradicts ʿUmar’s guidance against inflated dowers.’ Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm Āl al-Shaykh remarked: ‘The reports about the woman’s objection to ʿUmar have chains that are not free from discussion; they are unfit for evidence and cannot oppose the established texts. Thus ʿUmar’s statement—given that he was “a man spoken to (muhaddath), inspired,” and in full agreement with the textual proofs—is correct and must be acted upon.’