Ruling on Advancing Part of the Bridal Gift or Delaying It

Question: Is it obligatory to take possession of the woman's bridal gift when it is named or at the time of the contract, or is it sufficient to name it and permissible to delay it to a later time after the marriage? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer: This matter comes down to the agreement between the two spouses, or between the husband and the woman's guardian. If they agree on something, there is nothing wrong with it, whether it is advanced or delayed; all of that is permissible, and praise be to Allah. This is based on his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: , and his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: . So if they agree that the bridal gift is to be advanced or delayed, or that part of it is advanced and part delayed, then there is nothing wrong with any of that. However, the recommended practice is to name something at the time of the contract; based on His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Surat al-Nisa: 24]. So he names something of the bridal gift. If he names something, that is good. And if he says: "It is on a delayed bridal gift that is known between them," there is nothing wrong with that. Or if he delays half of it, or a third, or a quarter, and clarifies what is advanced and what is delayed, there is nothing wrong with that. All of that is permissible, and praise be to Allah.