Wife’s Right of Retention (Ḥaqq al-Ḥabs) and Its Jurisprudential Implications in the View of Sunni Schools of Law
Keywords:
The right to retain a wife, Sunni, Maliki, Hanbali, Shafi'i, HanafiAbstract
In Sunni schools of jurisprudence, the wife’s ownership of the mahr (dower) is considered a financial consequence of the marriage contract. Based on this, specific rights and duties are defined for both spouses to ensure the solidity of the marital bond. One of the most important of these rights is the wife’s right of retention (ḥaqq al-ḥabs). Accordingly, the present study aims to examine and analyze this right in Sunni jurisprudence to determine whether it is accepted or rejected by the various Sunni schools. This research adopts a descriptive–analytical method. The wife’s right of retention has been examined through a library–documentary approach, using note-taking techniques as the primary data collection tool. The findings of this investigation demonstrate that the wife’s right of retention has been affirmed and explicitly acknowledged by the majority of Sunni jurists. However, specific conditions are stipulated for the validity of this right, including the specification of the mahr, its non-payment, the immediate nature of the mahr, and the wife’s non-submission (non-cohabitation or refusal of conjugal duties). According to Sunni jurists, the factors that nullify this right include the full delivery of the mahr, the wife’s submission (tamkīn), or the payment of the first installment of the dower.
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