Short answer
In the Hanafi school the minimum mahr is 10 dirhams of silver, about 30.6 grams of silver, or its value in money. There is no maximum, but a modest mahr is sunnah. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools set no minimum, and the Maliki minimum is a quarter dinar of gold or three dirhams of silver.
Mahr is wajib on the husband and its minimum is 10 dirhams, about 30.6 grams of silver, or its value at today's price. If less is named, she is owed 10 dirhams. If no mahr is named, she is owed mahr al-mithl (the usual mahr of women like her in her family).
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- No minimum. Anything with value that can be sold, or a useful service, can be mahr.
- Maliki
- The minimum is a quarter dinar of gold or three dirhams of silver.
- Hanbali
- No fixed minimum. Anything with value can be mahr.
Explanation
Mahr (also spelled mehr or mahar) is the bride's own property. It is not a price, not a gift to her family and not something her father keeps. Allah tells husbands to give it gladly, and she can spend it, save it or forgive part of it by her own free choice.
The Hanafis set the floor at 10 dirhams, the same value as the minimum theft for which the hadd applies, so that a woman is never married for a worthless sum. Ten dirhams are about 30.6 grams of pure silver, so the amount in dollars or dirhams changes with the silver price. Our mahr calculator shows today's value of the minimum and of mahr Fatimi (the mahr of Fatimah, about 500 dirhams of silver).
There is no upper limit. Allah speaks of giving a woman "a great amount" in 4:20. Still, the sunnah is a mahr that the husband can actually pay. The Prophet ﷺ told a poor man to look for something, even an iron ring, and in the end married him on what he knew of the Quran, which the other schools take as proof that a service can be mahr. Hanafis understand it as marrying him because of what he knew, with a proper mahr still owed.
Mahr can be paid at once or partly later. See deferred mahr. If a couple divorce before consummation or valid privacy, she gets half the named mahr (2:237).
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:4
وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ صَدُقَٰتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةًۭ ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَىْءٍۢ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًۭا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيٓـًۭٔا مَّرِيٓـًۭٔا ﴿٤﴾
And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease.
Mahr is the woman's right, given willingly by the husband.
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:24
۞ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ ۖ كِتَٰبَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَن تَبْتَغُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُم مُّحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ ۚ فَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهِۦ مِنْهُنَّ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةًۭ ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا تَرَٰضَيْتُم بِهِۦ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْفَرِيضَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا ﴿٢٤﴾
And [also prohibited to you are all] married women except those your right hands possess. [This is] the decree of Allah upon you. And lawful to you are [all others] beyond these, [provided] that you seek them [in marriage] with [gifts from] your property, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse. So for whatever you enjoy [of marriage] from them, give them their due compensation as an obligation. And there is no blame upon you for what you mutually agree to beyond the obligation. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
Marriage is sought with wealth, which is why mahr must have real value.
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:237
وَإِن طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةًۭ فَنِصْفُ مَا فَرَضْتُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يَعْفُونَ أَوْ يَعْفُوَا۟ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِۦ عُقْدَةُ ٱلنِّكَاحِ ۚ وَأَن تَعْفُوٓا۟ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَنسَوُا۟ ٱلْفَضْلَ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ﴿٢٣٧﴾
And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation, then [give] half of what you specified - unless they forego the right or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes it. And to forego it is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget graciousness between you. Indeed Allah, of whatever you do, is Seeing.
Divorce before consummation halves the named mahr.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5135
Sahih... التمس ولو خاتما من حديد ...
"Look for something, even if it is an iron ring."
The husband must give the bride something of value, and simple mahr is praised.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Nikah, Bab al-Mahr. The least mahr is ten dirhams; if less is named she is owed ten.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Nikah, Bab al-Mahr. Mahr al-mithl is owed when no mahr is named.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Sadaq. The Hanbali view that there is no fixed minimum.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.