An Islamic cleric, Dr AbdulHameed Shuaib Agaka, says the current value of dowry to be paid in lslamic marriage is N13, 438.
He, however, added that it was permissible for wealthy husbands to pay amounts higher than the official acceptable fee.
Speaking in his weekly Islamic radio programme in Ilorin, Dr. Agaka, a former Scholar with School for Arabic Studies and Bayero University Kano, said the marriage would become invalid and illegal without the dowry being paid.
He said: “The dowry in Islam is paid by the man to his wife-to-be as an honour and respect given to her to show his sincerity and commitment to the marriage which also signifies sense of responsibility and obligation.”
The former don added prospective husbands could use cows, parcels of land, gold and other valuables as payment of dowry for their intended wives.
He advised Moslems to always abide with the validities under the lslamic marriage to curb cases of unwanted children in the society.
But Dr. Abdulhameed, also the Chief Imam of Agaka in Ilorin Emirate of Kwara State,insisted that what was most significant in any Islamic marriage was payment of dowry to the bride and adequate care and protection after marriage.
“It is only the payment of dowry that guarantees legal access and full control of wife by the husband,’’ the cleric said.
