May A Woman Demand Something That Is Not A Property As Mahr?

May a woman demand something that is not a property as mahr?

Everything that is allowed to be sold or to be used may be given as mahr in Islam . These include movable and immovable goods, jewelry, fungible (mithl) goods, and even the right of beneficiary use of movable or immovable properties (Kasani, Bada’i, II, 279).

Whether something that is not of any economical value and is considered taat (a deed that conduces to acquisition of rewards) in religious terms may be given as mahr, or whether teaching the Qur’an or religious judgments may be deemed as mahr had been discussed among the faqihs. While Hanafis do not find it permissible on the basis of the principle that mahr has material value (Ibn al-Humam, Fath, III, 308), some other madhhabs accept such things as teaching the Qur’an and fiqh as mahr (Shawkani, as-Sayl al-Jarrar, II, 277; Zuhayli, al-Fiqh al-Islami, VII, 260-264).

The same controversies apply to woman’s asking his husband to take her to hajj as mahr . However, this should be deemed permissible since the man’s paying for his wife’s hajj costs requires an expenditure, and as the purpose here is not the man’s serving his wife but to cover his spouse’s hajj costs.

On the other hand, a woman’s demands from her future husband to establish prayer, observe fasting and quit bad habits such as smoking and alcohol within the context of mahr are not considered as mahr since they are such things that one must perform.

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA