Is the Mahr (dower) owed by a son for a marriage contracted by his father the responsibility of the son?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Marriage
Primary text
When a father contracts a marriage for his son, the Mahr becomes the responsibility of the son's personal obligation (dhimmah), regardless of whether the son is solvent or insolvent. This is because the contract is made for the son, thus the obligation to pay the consideration rests upon him, similar to the price of a sold item.
Supporting text
There are two narrations (riwayatayn) regarding whether the father guarantees this debt. One narration holds that the father guarantees it because he undertook the consideration on the son's behalf, akin to explicitly stating a guarantee. The other narration states the father does not guarantee it because marriage is a contract of exchange where he acted on behalf of another, and thus he does not guarantee its consideration, similar to the price of a sold item or an agent's transaction. The latter view is considered sounder, especially if the son is insolvent.