The Permissibility of a Tribe Agreeing on a Fixed Bridal Gift

Question: We are a tribe where the bridal gift is 25,000 riyals. If the father of the girl or her brother takes more than 25,000 riyals, the tribe takes the excess amount and puts it in the tribe’s fund, which is paid out to those in need. Is it permissible to take the excess amount, or should it be returned to the groom, since taking it serves as a deterrent penalty for violating what the tribe stipulated?

Answer: If the tribe agrees on this matter, setting a bridal gift they have agreed upon for the benefit of their women and young men, then it is not permissible for anyone to violate this agreement and the consensus reached for the benefit of everyone. If the tribe or the people of the village agree on a specific bridal gift for the benefit of their young men and girls, it is obligatory for each of them to carry out this matter they agreed upon and not to violate it; because violating it entails violating the public interest of the people of the village or the tribe. If he exceeds the set limit, the excess is taken from him and placed in the interest of the tribe or the village that agreed on this specific bridal gift. This is a form of discretionary punishment for the one who violates the public interest.