Can Durood Pak Be Set as Haq Mahr?

Last updated October 10, 2026Religious topic

This guide gives the answer to the question and the evidence quoted for it. It is for information, not a fatwa.

The ruling

Durood Pak (salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ) cannot be fixed as a woman's Haq Mahr in a nikah. Even if someone does so, Mahr al-Mithl is still due. Mahr al-Mithl means the Mahr that was fixed, on the side of the woman's father, for women of her family who are like her, for example her sister, paternal aunt or paternal uncle's daughter. Their Mahr is the Mahr al-Mithl for this woman.

Evidence from the Qur'an

Allah Almighty says: ﴿ وَ اُحِلَّ لَكُمْ مَّا وَرَآءَ ذٰلِكُمْ اَنْ تَبْتَغُوْا بِاَمْوَالِكُمْ مُّحْصِنِیْنَ غَیْرَ مُسٰفِحِیْنَ فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهٖ مِنْهُنَّ فَاٰ تُوْهُنَّ اُجُوْرَهُنَّ فَرِیْضَةً ﴾ Translation (Kanz-ul-Irfan): And apart from them (the prohibited women mentioned above), lawful for you are the women that you seek to marry with your wealth, not to fornicate with them. So, the women you desire to marry, give them their specified bridal gift (Mahr). (Para 5, Surah Al-Nisa', verse 24)

On the words ﴿بِاَمْوَالِكُمْ﴾ (“with your wealth”) in this verse, Imam Abu al-Barakat Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Nasafi (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 710 AH / 1310 CE) writes: فيه دليل على…أنه يجب وإن لم يسم وأن غير المال لا يصلح مهرا Translation: In the verse there is evidence that Mahr is obligatory in a nikah even if it is not mentioned, and also that whatever is not wealth is not fit to be a Mahr. (Tafsir al-Nasafi, Surah Al-Nisa', under verse 24, vol. 1, p. 348, Lahore)

Evidence from the hadith

(1) It is recorded in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi, Kanz al-Ummal and Sunan al-Daraqutni, and the wording here is that of the last: عن جابر أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا صداق دون عشرة دراهم Translation: Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There is no Mahr below ten dirhams. (Sunan al-Daraqutni, vol. 4, p. 358, Mu'assasat al-Risalah, Beirut)

Fiqh texts: Mahr must be wealth

That Mahr must be wealth is also clear from the very definition of Mahr, as stated in al-Nahr al-Fa'iq, Radd al-Muhtar and the general books of fiqh, the wording being that of the first: اسم للمال الذي يجب في عقد النكاح على الزوج في مقابلة البضع إما بالتسمية أو بالعقد Translation: Mahr is the name for the wealth that becomes obligatory upon the husband in the marriage contract, in return for his gaining the marital right, either by being named explicitly or by the contract itself. (Al-Nahr al-Fa'iq Sharh Kanz al-Daqa'iq, Kitab al-Nikah, Bab al-Mahr, vol. 2, p. 229, Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

It is also not valid to fix acts of obedience, that is, good deeds, such as teaching the Qur'an, reciting it, performing salah or Durood Pak, as Mahr, because these are not wealth. In such a case Mahr al-Mithl becomes due. Accordingly, Malik al-Ulama Allama al-Kasani al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) and Allama Ibn Abidin al-Shami al-Dimashqi (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 1252 AH / 1836 CE) write: يجب مهر المثل فيما لو تزوجها على أن يعلمها القرآن أو نحوه من الطاعات لأن المسمى ليس بمال Translation: If someone marries on the condition that teaching the Qur'an, or some other act of obedience (for example, Durood Pak), will be the Mahr, then Mahr al-Mithl becomes due, because what was named as the Mahr is not wealth. (Radd al-Muhtar ma'a al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Kitab al-Nikah, Bab al-Mahr, vol. 4, p. 229, Quetta)

Sources

Kya Durood-e-Pak Haq Meher Ban Sakta Hai? — fatwaqa.com (Darulifta Ahlesunnat, Dawateislami) (opens in a new tab)

We opened and checked each source on October 10, 2026.

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