Khaberni - Following the insane rise in gold prices, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, made an urgent and explicit appeal to Egyptian families to confront the phenomenon of "exaggeration in dowries".
During his speech at the conference "Using Religious Discourse to Protect Women's Rights", the Grand Imam emphasized that this phenomenon has turned into an "unreasonable and illogical" barrier that makes marriage extremely difficult under current economic conditions and rising gold prices, criticizing what he described as the "mysterious silence" of scholars and preachers towards the entrenchment of dowry exaggeration habits.
He stressed that the philosophy of Islam regarding the dowry lies in it being a "symbol" of affection, and not as a display of "folly or extravagance and boasting", confirming that exorbitant costs force simple families to borrow and suffer agonies day and night.
Spread of spinsterhood
The Grand Imam cited religious texts that called for easing dowries, reminding that the Prophet ﷺ accepted the simplest even if it was a "ring of iron" or memorizing a chapter of the Quran, confirming that this does not degrade the wife's status, but rather puts things in their proper perspective, as noble affection cannot be valued with worldly money.
The Grand Imam warned that the continuation of this phenomenon has led to the prevalence of "spinsterhood" among girls and "bachelorhood" among boys, putting them under tremendous psychological pressure.
He affirmed that the first step in "renewing religious discourse" should begin with readdressing this issue to facilitate family building and protect it from collapsing under the weight of debts and false appearances.
In his concluding remarks, the Grand Imam said that the occasion does not allow for discussing the phenomena of the poor exploitation of the issues of polygamy and divorce, which show the Muslims deviating obviously from the provisions of their law and its purposes in respecting the humanity of the woman, and her right to have her feelings considered.
Gold price hike
The gold markets in Egypt recently witnessed an unprecedented wave of price hikes, where the prices of "gram" have multiplied several times due to global economic fluctuations and currency exchange rates.
Because of this insane rise, buying "the shabka" — a gold gift presented by the groom to his bride — has become a burden devouring a huge part of the wedding budget, and often exceeding the financial capabilities of young people.
In response to this rise, initiatives under the slogans "Cancel the shabka" or "Facilitate the dowries" launched in some villages and cities in Egypt, calling for forgoing gold or settling for a simple "ring", and directing funds towards furnishing the home. However, these initiatives faced resistance from inherited traditions and customs which some see as "preserving the girl's status".
