He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:

May a man who is unable to pay his dower be allowed to pay it in instalments?

He replied:

If he is unable to pay, the dower is to be divided into instalments according to his means, and he must not be imprisoned. Most scholars accept his statement that he is unable to pay when supported by his oath. This is the position of al-Shāfiʿī and Ahmad. Some, however, do not accept evidence of his inability to pay until after he has been imprisoned; this is the view of some followers of Abū Hanīfa. Thus, if the case is before a judge who rules according to the school of al-Shāfiʿī or Ahmad, he is not to be imprisoned.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

A man married a woman and gave her the dower. A dower of one thousand dinars was also recorded as payable by him, with the express understanding: “We will not take anything from you; this is merely our custom and for appearances.” The husband has now died, and the woman is demanding from his heirs the full amount recorded in her document. What is the ruling?

He replied:

If the circumstances are as described, she may claim only what the two of them actually agreed upon. As for the amount recorded in the manner described, it is not lawful for her to demand it. Rather, she is entitled to what they agreed upon.