Q:  mahr written in nikkah register as given and i signed it as i taken.  but still mahar has not been received, pls tell me whether it is ok to get mahar in my life time later on or he is supposed to  pay at the nikkah time itself. pls clarify the doubt

jzk allah

A: If you have signed in the presence of witnesses that you have accepted your mehr prior to marriage, then in such a case your signature before the witnesses would function as proof that you have indeed received your mehr.

Should your spouse make a claim that he did not indeed give you your mehr as of yet, then in such a case he would be liable to give you the amount stipulated. You should attain this confession from him in the presence of the witnesses, so as to eliminate any later confusion/denial. Should he claim that the mehr was not paid, again it would be best that in the presence of witnesses you both agree as to the time frame in which it all should be paid.

It is our understanding that due to cultural reasons, brides claim that they have received their mehr, when in reality they have not attained a red-cent and are resentful of being cheated while being forced to say they have received a fixed amount so as to not be viewed as greedy, this is most incorrect. Men not giving a woman her legal Islamic right should observe the following ayah: Oh humankind, fear your Allah who created you from a single soul and from it created its match and spread many men and women. Fear Allah in whose name you ask each other (for your rights, mehr, divorce, etc), and fear (the violation of the rights of not giving the mehr, talaq, etc) the womb-relations. Surely, Allah is watchful over you.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.