Unfortunately, we live in a society where giving and taking ‘Dowry’ is a pride. The dowry system is a great evil that still exists in Pakistan. Dowry is a term used for the things which are necessary for a girl who is going to be married and so her parents give to her daughter.
In our society, the daughters of poor families face the most problems due to ostentation and daughters-in-law who do not get proper dowry are never respected by the in-laws, which is a ‘great tragedy’. It is a demonstration of victimizing unmarried young ladies, whose qualities are characterized dependent on the costs of their particular shares.
Both love and arrange marriage and both educated and illiterate people are practicing dowry system in the society of Pakistan. Moreover, girls become mentally affected and parents lose their self-respect under the burden of dowry. The foremost reason for exercising dowry is greed. Middle class is one the most involved class in dowry system as compared to lower and upper class.
In actual fact, the custom of giving dowry has never been legitimated by Islam. It appears to be the replication of previous Hindu custom in which daughters have no share in the property of family but were given expenditures that could be in the form of households. On the contrary the daughter in Islam has a full right in their family property and inheritance.
There is no place for dowry in any religion including Islam. Yes, of course, you can give it as a gift, but you cannot demand it. In Islam, it is not allowed that a woman is owed by a family or is traded in such a way. As it is offensive behavior to demand money from the bridegroom or his family from the bride or his relatives.
When Bibi Fatima (R.A) got married to Hazrat Ali b Abu Talib (R.A), Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) gave her various gifts but there is no evidence of giving gifts to any of his other daughters at the time of their marriages. If giving gifts would be practiced in Islam He (S.A.W) would have given these to them. The Prophet (S.A.W) gifted very modest household items which include a bed sheet, a leather water bag and a pillow to His daughter Bibi Fatima (R.A).
Giving dowry is an outrageous practice which should be prohibited as to attempt to justify ostentatious demonstration of capitals in abundant gifts or feastings by referring to the Prophet’s (S.A.W) tremendously modest gifts to Bibi Fatima (R.A). Being Muslim we should not practice it and should stop giving dowry to our daughter rather than that we should give their right to our family properties which is mostly not practiced by most of us.
