Page 146 - Mary: An Exemplary Muslim Woman
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              they can to
              meet their fi-
              nancial needs.
                   Believers under-
              stand that it is not necessarily
              what they do, but rather what their
              true intention is, that will win them His
              good pleasure. This truth is explained in the fol-
              lowing words: "Their flesh and blood does not
              reach Allah, but your heedfulness does reach Him" (Surat al-Hajj: 37).
              For this reason, a believing man willingly fulfills his responsibilities to-
              ward his ex-wife in this respect. However, if she does not wish to receive
              her due and if she wishes to forego this right, her former husband can-
              not be held responsible: "Give women their dowry as an outright gift.
              But if they are happy to give you some of it, make use of it with plea-
              sure and goodwill" (Surat an-Nisa': 4).



                     Ex-Wives Retain Their Property

                   The Qur'an also protects a woman's interests by stating that she re-
              tains what her former husband gave her while they were married: "If
              you desire to exchange one wife for another and have given your orig-

              inal wife a large amount, do not take any of it. Would you take it by
              means of slander and outright crime? How could you take it when you
              have been intimate with one another, and they have made a binding
              contract with you?" (Surat an-Nisa': 20-21).
                   Allah reminds people that believing men must respect the terms of
              their marriage agreement. One of these terms is that regardless of the
              amount of property or money that a woman receives from her husband




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