Is My Marriage Valid If My Husband Never Repaid the Mahr?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Is my marriage valid if my husband never repaid the borrowed mahr and has not fulfilled his financial responsibilities for 18 years?
Unfortunately, our marriage has never been peaceful or fulfilling. From the very beginning, I received a mahr of only around $200 in value, and even that was given to me with borrowed money. To this day, he has never paid back the debt he took for my mahr.
Throughout our marriage, my husband has never supported me financially. I have been the one working, earning money, and taking care of all household responsibilities. I am the sole provider for our only son.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question. I am sad you have been going through this for many years.
Your marriage is valid despite the borrowed mahr. Your husband’s failure to meet financial responsibilities could justify divorce, both Islamically and legally. You have the right to seek justice and demand a fresh commitment with wisdom through seeking support from local, reliable scholars and community elders.
Allah provides a clear directive in the Quran regarding marital relationships, addressing the husband:
“Live with them in kindness, or part with them in kindness” [Quran, 4:19]
A husband is obligated to provide financial support, housing, food, clothing, general expenses, and emotional and physical support. It is not your duty to earn and provide what you have been doing all these years. Islam encourages the protection of your dignity, well-being, and rights.
Due to the sensitivity of this situation, I advise you to consult local scholars—reliable, pious, and wise individuals who understand family and community dynamics and can help you choose the best course of action.
Related
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
