My dowry was 100 pounds lol, thats all im worth apparently
i remember the iman laughing out loud when he asked.. So glad it wasnt thousands, anyways my marriage was anulled because he went on a business trip and never came back...... Missing person lol.. i didnt have it done in a court, just his friends and family did it for me.. if he hadnt have gone away i think we would have killed each other lol, he always wanted to mould me but i wont let anyone mould or tell me how to think so it was a disaster.. anyway, i dont beleive muslims should have to go to court for a divorce or anything else, we are suppose to be equal, even shariah was a later creation.. I would never, ever go to an islamic court with a neanderthral making decisions about my life, and i feel sorry for those that have to because of where they live..
Sorry just blurting out a rant ..
Oh, that sucks, Suki. I am sorry to hear you had a rough time.
Mahr is such a weird thing. I think some women subconsciously tie their worth to how much money they are offered by the suitor. But it really more often comes down to situations. Besides, as Cornflower said, it is encouraged to settle for lower. I can't remember it off the top of my head, but I think there was a narration that said that the best kind of woman is one with a low mahr.
Still, the imam that married us actually called me a week before our wedding and talked to me on the phone for a good 20 minutes trying to suggest a mahr that I'd accept, because apparently asking for a coin was embarrassing. It was like two days before our marriage before my husband thought to offer me his fancy Quran.
I'm glad that you are in a better situation now, though, and that you didn't have to work to get out of that marriage. And you got to keep your 100 pounds, right?