Note 94

94. for city-dwellers at nineteen &mithqals of pure gold, and for village-dwellers at the same amount in silver # 66 &Baha'u'llah specifies that the criterion for determining the dowry payment is the location of the permanent residence of the bridegroom, not of the bride (Q and A 87, 88).

95. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five &mithqals...

If he content himself, however, with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be better for him according to the

Book. # 66

In answer to a question about the dowry, &Baha'u'llah stated:

Whatever is revealed in the &Bayan, in respect to those residing in cities and villages, is approved and should be carried out.

However, in the &Kitab-i-Aqdas mention is made of the lowest +P209 level. The intention is nineteen &mithqals of silver, specified in the &Bayan for village-dwellers. This is more pleasing unto God, provided the two parties agree. The purpose is to promote the comfort of all, and to bring about concord and union among the people. Therefore, the greater the consideration shown in these matters the better it will be... The people of &Baha must associate and deal with each other with the utmost love and sincerity. They should be mindful of the interests of all, especially the friends of God. &Abdu'l-Baha, in one of His Tablets, summarized some of the provisions for determining the level of the dowry. The unit of payment mentioned in the extract, cited below, is the "&vahid". One &vahid is equivalent to nineteen &mithqals. He stated:

City-dwellers must pay in gold and village-dwellers in silver. It dependeth on the financial means at the disposal of the groom. If he is poor, he payeth one &vahid; if of modest means, he payeth two &vahids; if well-to-do, three &vahids; if wealthy, four &vahids; and if very rich, he giveth five &vahids. It is, in truth, a matter for agreement between the bridegroom, the bride, and their parents. Whatever agreement is reached should be carried out.

In this same Tablet, &Abdu'l-Baha encouraged the believers to refer questions concerning the application of this law to the Universal House of Justice, which has "the authority to legislate". He stressed that "it is this body which will enact laws and legislate upon secondary matters which are not explicit in the Holy Text".