Is a marriage contract valid without specifying any dowry?

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A marriage contract is valid without specifying any dowry according to the consensus of the majority of scholars. Evidence for this is found in the saying of Allah, "There is no blame upon you if you divorce women whom you have not touched nor specified for them an apportionment [of dower]; but give them [something] for their enjoyment—the wealthy according to his capacity, and the measure of that according to his capacity—a duty to those who do good." (Quran 2:236). Furthermore, it is narrated that Ibn Mas'ud ruled that a woman married without a specified dowry who died before consummation was entitled to the customary dowry of women of her status, was required to observe the waiting period (Iddah), and inherited from her husband, a ruling confirmed by Ma'qal ibn Sinan al-Ashja'i as a ruling made by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The intent of marriage is connection and enjoyment, not the dowry itself, making it analogous to maintenance (Nafaqah).