What mehr is, how much it should be, when it must be paid, and why Allah made it obligatory — complete Islamic guidance for bride and groom.
Mehr (also written mahr or mahar) is the mandatory gift that a husband gives to his wife upon marriage. It is not a bride price paid to her family — it belongs exclusively to her. It is not optional — it is a fard (obligation) in Islamic marriage. A nikah without mehr is still valid in most scholarly opinions, but the husband owes it regardless.
The Quran uses the word "saduqat" (from sidq — truth/sincerity) for mehr. It is a sincere expression of the husband's commitment and recognition of the wife's value.
There is no minimum or maximum fixed by Islam. The Prophet ﷺ married Aisha (RA) with a mehr of 500 dirhams (approximately 1.5 kg of silver). He also said "the best mehr is the most affordable" (Abu Dawud) and made nikah valid for a man who had nothing to give except teaching the wife Quran.
The principle: mehr should be agreed upon by both parties, meaningful to the wife (so she genuinely feels honoured), and within the husband's realistic capacity to pay.
In Pakistan, mehr amounts have become either symbolically negligible (100 PKR — which the Prophet ﷺ would have considered disrespectful) or unrealistically astronomical (sums set to never be paid, which scholars consider a form of fraud). The Sunnah approach: a meaningful amount — perhaps 50,000–200,000 PKR for middle-income families — that genuinely honours the wife and can realistically be paid.