Women's Dowry
According to Bahā’u’llāh:
No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry, which hath been fixed for city-dwellers at nineteen mithqāls[1] of pure gold, and for village-dwellers at the same amount in silver. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five mithqāls. Thus hath the command been writ in majesty and power.[2]
Why would a creed who preaches novelty in its laws and equality between men and women, ask men to pay dowry to women? Why not the opposite? If there is equality and no
discrimination between the sexes then why should one party pay the other? Either, no side should pay the other, or both sides should pay equal amounts. How can a creed that cannot abide by its own laws of equality among its adherents, preach global equality of rights between men and women and between all races?
If according to Bahā’u’llāh’s second principle, God has made no distinction between people, then why should villagers be entitled to a dowry of silver but city-dwellers to a dowry of
gold?