and said, “O Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need of her.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Do you have anything to give her as a dower?” He said, “I have nothing but this waist-wrapper of mine.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “If you give it to her, you will be left with no garment; so seek something else.” He said, “I cannot find anything.” He said, “Seek something, even an iron ring.” So he searched but found nothing. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Do you know anything of the Quran?” He said, “Yes, such-and-such surah and such-and-such surah,” naming several surahs. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then said, “I have married her to you in return for what you know of the Quran.” (1)

This proves that no minimum amount has been fixed for the dower, because he said, “Seek something,” which shows that any form of property may be given. He also said, “Even an iron ring,” yet an iron ring has only a negligible and insignificant value.

The hadith also proves that teaching the Quran may be made a dower. This was the view of al-Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him. Some scholars held that it is not permissible; this was the view of the People of Opinion. Every service for which it is permissible to hire someone—such as building, tailoring, and other kinds of work—may be made a dower. Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him, did not permit the service of a free person to be made a dower. The hadith is evidence for those who permit it, especially since Allah, Exalted is He, informed us of Shu‘ayb, peace be upon him, when he gave his daughter in marriage to Moses, peace be upon him, in exchange for work. He said: “I wish to marry one of these two daughters of mine to you, provided that you serve me for eight years.” (Al-Qasas - 27)

“Whoever among you cannot afford to marry free believing women may marry believing bondwomen from among those whom you possess. Allah knows best the state of your faith; you are all of one another. So marry them with their owners’ permission and give them their dowries fairly, provided they are chaste, neither committing fornication nor taking secret lovers. Once they are married, if they commit indecency, they shall receive half the punishment prescribed for free women. This is for those among you who fear falling into sin. But to be patient is better for you. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (25)

His saying, Exalted is He, “Whoever among you cannot afford,” means: whoever lacks sufficient means and financial capacity; “to marry free believing women,” meaning free women. Al-Kisa’i recited al-muhsinat—with a kasrah on the letter sad—wherever it occurs, except for the phrase in this surah, “and married women among women.” The other reciters read all of them with a fathah. “Then from among your maidens,” meaning your slave-girls, “believing.”