even if it is only an iron ring.”

When he still could not find anything, the Prophet ﷺ asked, “Do you know anything of the Qur’an?”
“Yes,” he replied.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “I give her to you in marriage for what you know of the Qur’an. Teach it to her and that will be her dower.”

Lessons drawn from the ḥadith

1. A woman may lawfully offer herself in marriage to a man of piety and uprightness, and a father may likewise offer his daughter to such a man.

2. A man who intends to marry a woman is allowed to look at her beforehand. The wisdom is what the Prophet ﷺ indicated: “Look at her, for that is more likely to foster harmony between you.”

   Today Muslims stand at two opposite extremes:
   • Some overstep Allah’s limits by leaving an engaged couple together in theatres, parks, excursions, or secluded places;
   • Others go to the other extreme, keeping the woman so hidden that a prospective suitor cannot see her at all.
   The correct path is the middle one, as Allah says, “and ever between the two lies a balanced way.”

3. If a woman has no guardian among her relatives, the public authority (the imam) acts as her guardian.

4. A dower (ṣadāq) is indispensable for a valid marriage, for it is one of the two considerations exchanged.

5. The dower may be extremely small when the groom is unable to pay more, as the Prophet ﷺ said: “even an iron ring.” In fact, lightening the dower is commendable for both rich and poor because of the many benefits mentioned earlier.

6. It is preferable to specify the dower in the marriage contract, for that cuts off future dispute. If it is not mentioned, the contract is still valid and the wife is entitled to the customary dower for someone like her. Nowadays the common practice is for the groom to send the dower to the bride beforehand; once she and her family accept it, the contract is concluded, and there is then no need to mention it explicitly in the contract.

7. Delivering a sermon (khuṭbah) at the time of the contract is not obligatory, since it is absent from this ḥadith.

8. The dower may consist of a benefit rather than money, such as teaching the Qur’an, jurisprudence, good manners, a craft, or any other useful skill. Some jurists objected to making Qur’an instruction a dower, claiming either that it was a privilege unique to this man or that the marriage took place because he was one of the “people of the Qur’an.” These objections hold no weight, for legal rulings are presumed general unless evidence restricts them, and the wording of the ḥadith explicitly says, “Teach her some of the Qur’an.”

9. A marriage contract is valid with any wording that unambiguously conveys the meaning of marriage. The ḥadith employs several expressions—“I marry her to you,” “I assign her to you,” and “We have given her to you”—and those who insist on one particular formula merely prefer the wording “I marry you to her” over the others.