is forbidden and the marriage is invalid. Moreover, according to the sounder opinion it is still classed as shighar even if a separate dowry is named for each woman, because in every case harm befalls them both and because the hadiths that prohibit a shighar marriage are general in their wording. As we have explained, shighar is when the marriage of one woman is made conditional upon the marriage of another. The device you mentioned—postponing one marriage for a year after the other—is nothing but a legal ploy; it does not remove the prohibition and does not make the arrangement lawful.

Therefore you must stay away from this practice. Let every guardian arrange a sound marriage for the woman under his care—one that is beneficial to her, in which she has the right of choice, and in which she receives the customary dowry—without linking her marriage to that of another woman in exchange.

Question: In that case, is no consideration given to naming a dowry for each woman so long as the two guardians have entered into such a mutual condition?

Answer: Exactly. According to the sounder view, even if each woman is assigned a dowry, that does not take the arrangement out of being shighar.

Question: Even if one dowry is larger than the other?

Answer: Whether the dowries differ or are equal makes no difference. Whether both contracts are concluded together or one is delayed after the other, the ruling is the same: such an arrangement is impermissible.

Question: So in this kind of case it is considered shighar?

Answer: Yes, in this situation it is regarded as shighar.

Question: Suppose the first marriage has already been concluded—what should we advise the parties?

Answer: They should take the matter to the judge in their locality, or to a mufti, inform him of the exact circumstances, and he will look into the details and, God willing, arrange for a valid contract.