Article 105 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
المادة 105 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الرابع: فسخ عقد الزواج
The article sets what happens to the dowry when a marriage is terminated because of a defect in one spouse, depending on when the defect arose and whether termination came before or after consummation or private seclusion.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا فسخ عقد الزواج لعلة في أحد الزوجين، فعلى المحكمة أن تقرر ما يأتي:
1- إذا كانت العلة حدثت في أي من الزوجين بعد الدخول، فليس للزوج استرداد ما دفعه من المهر.
2- إذا كانت العلة في أي من الزوجين سابقة للعقد وكان الفسخ قبل الدخول أو الخلوة، فيسترد الزوج ما دفعه من المهر ويسقط ما بقي منه ولو كان مؤجلاً.
3- إذا كانت العلة في الزوج سابقة للعقد وكان الفسخ بعد الدخول أو الخلوة، فللزوجة المهر.
4- إذا كانت العلة في الزوجة سابقة للعقد وكان الفسخ بعد الدخول أو الخلوة؛ فللزوجة المهر، ويجوز للزوج الرجوع بالمهر على من غره.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 105 explained in plain English
After Article 104 allowed either spouse to request termination of the marriage contract because of a harmful or repellent defect in the other, Article 105 requires the court to decide what happens to the dowry in four cases:
- The defect arose after consummation in either spouse: the husband may not recover what he paid of the dowry.
- The defect existed before the contract in either spouse and termination is before consummation or private seclusion: the husband recovers what he paid of the dowry, and what remains of it is waived even if deferred.
- The defect is in the husband, existed before the contract, and termination is after consummation or private seclusion: the wife keeps the dowry.
- The defect is in the wife, existed before the contract, and termination is after consummation or private seclusion: the wife keeps the dowry, and the husband may recover the dowry from whoever deceived him.
The decisive factors are therefore when the defect arose (before the contract or after consummation) and when termination takes place (before or after consummation or private seclusion), together with which spouse has the defect in the last two cases.
The fourth case shows that a husband who was deceived into marrying a woman with a defect that existed before the contract does not lose his right: he may recover the dowry from whoever deceived him, while the dowry stays with the wife.
Relation to neighboring articles: Article 106 deals with another case of termination, which concerns the husband's failure to pay the immediate dowry.
To apply these cases to a particular dispute, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status matters.
Practical example
Saad married a woman who had a repellent defect before the contract, which her family hid from him. He discovered it after consummation and requested termination. Under paragraph 4 of Article 105, the wife keeps the dowry, and Saad may recover the dowry from whoever deceived him.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 105 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
Does the husband recover the dowry if the marriage is terminated before consummation because of an earlier defect?
Yes. If the defect in either spouse existed before the contract and termination is before consummation or private seclusion, the husband recovers what he paid and what remains is waived even if deferred.
Does the wife keep the dowry if the marriage is terminated after consummation because of a defect in her?
If the defect in her existed before the contract and termination is after consummation or private seclusion, the wife keeps the dowry, and the husband may recover it from whoever deceived him.
What if the defect arose after consummation?
If the defect arose in either spouse after consummation, the husband may not recover what he paid of the dowry.
More articles on Annulment of Marriage
- Article 27
The article makes spouses bound by their conditions, and a condition gives a right to annul the marriage only if it was written in the marriage document or acknowledged by both spouses.
1- الزوجان عند شروطهما. 2- لا يكون الشرط مثبتاً لخيار فسخ عقد الزواج إلا إذا نص على الشرط كتابةً في وثيقة عقد الزواج أو أقر به الزوجان.
- Article 28
The article allows the party who stipulated a condition in the marriage contract to request annulment at any time if the other does not fulfill it, without compensation if the breach is by the husband.
إذا لم يفِ أحد الزوجين بما شرطه الآخر وفقاً لما تضمنته المادة (السابعة والعشرون) من هذا النظام؛ فللمشترط طلب فسخ عقد الزواج متى شاء إلا إذا أسقط حقه صراحة. فإذا
- Article 34
The article provides that the court annuls a defective marriage, sets its effects before and after consummation, and applies its effects to a void marriage after consummation if the spouses did not know its ruling.
1- تفسخ المحكمة عقد الزواج الفاسد، ولا يترتب عليه أي أثر قبل الدخول إلا الطلاق إذا أوقعه الزوج فيقع بائناً بينونةً صغرى. 2- يترتب على الزواج الفاسد بعد الدخول م
- Article 76
The article sets out the cases in which separation occurs between spouses: divorce, khul', annulment of the marriage contract, the death of either spouse, and li'an.
تحصل الفرقة بين الزوجين في أي من الحالات الآتية: 1- الطلاق. 2- الخُلع. 3- فسخ عقد الزواج. 4- وفاة أحد الزوجين. 5- اللعان بين الزوجين.
- Article 103
Every separation between spouses by court judgment counts as a termination (faskh), is an irrevocable separation of the lesser degree, and is not counted among the three divorces.
كل تفريق بحكم قضائي يعد فسخًا، وتكون فرقة بائنة بينونة صغرى، ولا تحسب من التطليقات الثلاث.
- Article 104
Either spouse may request termination of the marriage because of a harmful or repellent defect in the other that prevents marital relations, unless the requester knew of it at the contract or showed consent to it after learning of it.
1- لكل من الزوجين طلب فسخ عقد الزواج لعلة مضرة في الآخر أو منفرة تمنع المعاشرة الزوجية -سواء كانت العلة قبل عقد الزواج أو طرأت بعده- ما لم يكن طالب الفسخ عالماً
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.