Fixing of the Mahr by the Community and a Fine for Contravening It

Question

The prominent people of the community have passed a resolution that henceforth no one should contract the nikah of their children for a sum of more than 25 rupees. Accordingly, the whole community abides by it, and a fine and the like are imposed on anyone who contravenes it. So do these people have the right to fix the mahr or not? And is there any defect in the validity of the nikah or not?

Answer

Fixing the mahr at twenty-five rupees, or more than that, or less than that — down to ten dirhams — is permissible, and in every case the nikah is valid. The minimum amount — ten dirhams — is fixed by the Shari‘a, while the maximum amount is not fixed. No one else has the right to fix an upper limit as binding, nor can it become fixed by anyone’s fixing it.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.