Can a Son Settle His Mother’s Unpaid Haqq-e-Mahr as Charity After Her Death?

Settling Unpaid Haqq-e-Mahr After the Wife’s Death: Can It Be Donated as Charity?

Question: A man’s father did not pay haqq-e-mahr to his wife, and now both have passed away. The son wants to settle this dowry debt. Can he give it as charity on behalf of his mother?  

Answer: If a husband did not pay the mahr and passed away, the unpaid mahr must be settled from his estate and given to the wife. If the wife has also passed away, as in this case, the mahr becomes the right of her heirs. It should be distributed among those heirs who were alive at the time of her death. However, if all the heirs consent, the mahr can be given as charity on her behalf. The key is obtaining unanimous consent from all the heirs for this charitable act.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

English Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail