What is the Islamic legal ruling on a suitor reclaiming the expensive ring he gave his fiancée at the engagement ceremony, without intending it as a gift, especially after the engagement was broken off before consummation, and the fiancée's family refuses to return it, demanding half the dowry and the ring?

It is permissible for the husband to demand the return of gifts he presented to his wife, including the engagement ring (if it was not part of the dowry), in cases where the divorce was initiated by the wife or was due to her fault. Jurists have made an exception for gifts intended as compensation; if the compensation is not realized, it is permissible to revoke the gift.

However, if the ring was given as a loan, the wife must return it. In the event of a dispute, the husband's word, accompanied by an oath that the ring was a loan and not a gift, shall be accepted.