What is the definition and legal status of 'Sadaqah' (Dower/Mahr)?
Chapter on Zakat on Debt and Charity
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
Sadaqah, pluralized as Sadaqat, signifies the dower given to a wife. Its legal standing is that it is categorized as a debt. It is mentioned separately due to its specific common designation. Evidence for its obligatory nature as a due payment is found in the Quran: And give the women [whom you marry] their Mahr (obligatory payment) as a free gift (Nihlah) (Quran 4:4).