Article 39 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
المادة 39 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الثالث: أركان عقد الزواج وشروطه
The article allows deferring all or part of the dower, and sets when it is delivered when deferral is not stated and when a known term, an unknown term, or no term is stated.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجوز الاتفاق في عقد الزواج على تأجيل المهر كله أو بعضه.
2- إذا لم ينصّ في العقد على تأجيل المهر ولم يحدد وقت معين لتسليمه، فيتعين تسليمه عند المطالبة به.
3- إذا نص في العقد على تأجيل المهر فلا يخلو من الأحوال الآتية:
أ- إذا ذكر أجل معلوم، فيحل المهر بحلول الأجل.
ب- إذا ذكر أجل غير معلوم، فهو معجل.
ج- إذا لم يذكر وقت الأجل، فيحل بالفرقة البائنة، أو وفاة أحد الزوجين.
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 39 explained in plain English
Article 39 of the Personal Status Law regulates the advance payment and deferral of the dower, and sets rules for determining when it falls due:
1- Deferral is permitted: the parties may agree in the marriage contract to defer all or part of the dower.
2- If deferral is not stated and no specific time for delivery is set, it must be delivered upon demand.
3- If deferral is stated, there are three cases:
- A known term: the dower falls due when that term arrives.
- An unknown term: the dower is considered advanced, that is, treated as if it had not been deferred.
- No term stated: the dower falls due upon an irrevocable separation or upon the death of either spouse.
The importance of this article is practical: how the dower condition is worded in the contract determines when the wife may claim it. If it is written that the dower is deferred without specifying a time, it falls due only upon irrevocable separation or death, whereas if a vague, unknown term is stated, the dower is considered advanced.
This article complements Article 38, which makes the dower the woman's property, and Article 40, which explains when the dower becomes due and is confirmed in full. Article 43 also provides that the wife may refuse to consummate the marriage until she receives her advanced dower.
To confirm your specific situation, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status matters.
Practical example
Salman's marriage contract provided that half of the dower is advanced and the other half deferred, without stating a time. Under Article 39 the wife is entitled to the deferred half upon irrevocable separation or the death of either spouse. Had the contract provided that the deferred part is to be paid two years after the contract, it would have fallen due when the two years passed.
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 39 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
Can the dower be deferred?
Yes, the parties may agree in the marriage contract to defer all or part of the dower.
When is the deferred dower due if no time is stated?
It falls due upon irrevocable separation or the death of either spouse.
What is the rule on deferring the dower to an unknown term?
If an unknown term is stated, the dower is considered advanced.
When is the dower delivered if deferral is not stated?
If deferral is not stated and no time is set for delivery, it must be delivered upon demand.
More articles on Dowry
- Article 3
The article treats everything one fiancé gives the other during the engagement as a gift, unless the suitor states it is dowry (mahr) or custom treats it as such.
جميع ما يقدمه الخاطب أو المخطوبة إلى الآخر خلال فترة الخطبة يعد هدية؛ ما لم يصرح الخاطب بأن ما قدمه يعد مهراً أو يجر عرف على أنه من المهر.
- Article 5
The article lets the suitor or his heirs recover what he handed over as dowry (mahr) if the contract is not concluded, with an option for the fiancée if she bought items with it for the marriage.
1- إذا عدل أي من الخاطب أو المخطوبة عن إبرام عقد الزواج أو مات قبل العقد، وكان الخاطب قد سلّم إلى مخطوبته قبل العقد مالاً على أنه من المهر، يحق للخاطب أو لورثته
- Article 7
The article defines seclusion (khalwa) as the spouses being alone in a place where no person of discernment is with them.
الخلوة -في سبيل تطبيق هذا النظام- هي انفراد الزوجين في مكان ليس عندهما من يميِّز.
- Article 33
The article explains that a void marriage produces no effect before consummation, and sets out what follows after consummation: the waiting period, prohibition arising from marriage ties, and the dower of equivalent women, under its conditions.
1- لا يرتب الزواج الباطل أي أثر قبل الدخول. 2- يترتب على الزواج الباطل بعد الدخول، الأحكام الآتية: أ- وجوب العدة. ب- حرمة المصاهرة. ج- استحقاق المرأة مهر المثل
- Article 36
The article defines the dower as the money a man pays to a woman by reason of the marriage contract.
المهر هو المال الذي يدفعه الرجل للمرأة بسبب عقد الزواج.
- Article 37
The article provides that anything that can be considered money can be a dower.
كلُّ ما صحَّ اعتباره مالاً صح أن يكون مهراً
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.