Mas Kahwin Claims: recovering an unpaid mahar balance

A mas kahwin claim means the wife applies for the balance of mas kahwin that the husband never paid in full, either during the marriage or after divorce.

One clearly recognised situation: if the husband marries another wife without court permission, he must immediately pay the outstanding mas kahwin and pemberian owed to the existing wife.^[1]

In other cases, such as a promised mas kahwin never fully paid at the akad, the wife can file a separate claim at the Syariah Court with evidence such as the marriage certificate and mas kahwin agreement.

This claim differs from mut’ah, because mas kahwin is the wife’s right from the akad itself, not a gift given after divorce. Read mas kahwin to understand the concept.