Is the wife obligated to return the gifts she received from her husband after the marriage contract and before consummation, and after the divorce has occurred?
A woman owns half of the Mahr (dowry) immediately upon a valid marriage contract. If a divorce occurs before consummation, she is entitled to half of the named Mahr. As for gifts given to the wife during the engagement, if custom considers them part of the Mahr, they are divided in half upon divorce before consummation. If they are merely gifts that are not to be returned, they become the property of the wife, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "It is not permissible for a man to give a gift or a present and then take it back, except for a father concerning what he gives to his child." It is desirable for each spouse to forgive the half that is due from the other. The wife must return any amount given to her after the divorce unless it was a gift from the husband.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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