"If I don’t kill her today; tomorrow
she will kill me financially or some one else will burn
her for the sake of dowry,"
rationalizes the would be father of an unborn female child,
at the time of deciding a premature end for her. Such is
the evil of dowry, rampantly prevailing in Indian society.
A study has revealed that an estimated one million (1,000,000
) female foetuses are being destroyed every year in India
alone where, even today the birth of a female child is viewed
as a curse. As soon as a daughter is born, the family in
general and the father in particular starts calculating the
huge financial burden that lies ahead of him. Whereas a Muslim
father seizes, the same opportunity with both his hands as
his Prophet (pbuh) has promised him heaven or paradise for
bringing up his daughter the way he takes care of his male
child.
A Muslim father does not have to bother for dowry, as there
is nothing called ‘Dowry’ in Islam. On the contrary,
Islam enjoins the groom to give a ‘Bridal-Gift’ or ‘Dower’ as
a token of love and assurance to his would be wife at the
time of marriage. In fact without payment of this sum, the
marriage cannot get solemnized. The Holy Qur’an instructs
the believers
"And give the women (whom you marry) their dower (obligatory
bridal gift) happily" (4:4)
The practice of dowry among ignorant Muslims is a result
of the influence of the evil practices of the society they
live in. Islam does not put any financial burden on the father
of the girl. A Muslim father is told to get her daughter
married away in a most simple ‘Nikah’ ceremony
solemnized by a ‘Qazi’ (priest) in a mosque,
witnessed by his close relatives and friends. He is not even
required to throw a luncheon to the handful of invitees assembled
for this occasion. In fact it is desirable on the part of
the groom that he offers a reception (Waleema) to his near
ones & dear ones without forgetting the poor people of
his society.
The example of such a simple marriage was set up by none
other than the Prophet (pbuh) himself. He got his daughters
married in the simplest possible manner. There was nothing
in it whatsoever for the bridegroom that could be termed
as dowry. The Prophet (pbuh) said:
"The best of the marriages is one which
is least burdensome in the financial sense to the families
of the bride and the groom"
Thus he paved a way for people of all times to come to live
a life without stress and strain pertaining to daughters’ marriages
too!
