Note 93

93. No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry # 66

The Synopsis and Codification, section IV.C.1.j.i.-v., summarizes the main provisions concerning the dowry. These provisions have their antecedents in the &Bayan. +P208

The dowry is to be paid by the bridegroom to the bride. It is fixed at 19 &mithqals of pure gold for city-dwellers, and 19 &mithqals of silver for village-dwellers (see note 94). &Baha'u'llah indicates that, if, at the time of the wedding, the bridegroom is unable to pay the dowry in full, it is permissible for him to issue a promissory note to the bride (Q and A 39).

With the Revelation of &Baha'u'llah many familiar concepts, customs and institutions are redefined and take on new meaning. One of these is the dowry. The institution of dowry is a very ancient practice in many cultures and takes many forms. In some countries it is a payment made by the parents of the bride to the bridegroom; in others it is a payment made by the bridegroom to the parents of the bride, called a "bride-price". In both such cases the amount is often quite considerable. The law of &Baha'u'llah abolishes all such variants and converts the dowry into a symbolic act whereby the bridegroom presents a gift of a certain limited value to the bride.