Our society is suffering from many social evils at the moment.

The dowry system is prevalent virtually in all parts of India. Dowry has been defined by a young lady as "the price paid by the parents for getting their daughters the post of a daughter-in-law". Parents pay huge sums of money so that their daughters may secure a satisfactory and permanent post. Unfortunately, the whole affair has assured the proportions of a scandal. The groom 's parents try to extract the maximum from a matrimonial alliance. They insist on receiving huge amount of cash, luxury items like television sets, VCR 's, refrigerators, cars, scooters and in certain cases even houses. Cases of harassment of young brides and bride burning on account of in-adequate dowry have multiplied during the recent years. Dowry system is deeply ingrained in the social texture of our country. Giving away a daughter in marriage is called 'Kanyadan '. Traditionally, no 'daan ' was considered to be valid unless accompanied with 'dakshina '. The dowry was supposed to be the 'dakshina ' to validate the 'Kanyadan ' Kings used to give even parts of their kingdom in dowry, common people gave a dowry consisting of articles of household utility and some cash. Since a girl enjoyed no right to the parental property, the system carried some kind of a moral justification also. In modern times, however, dowry is a contemptible social evil. It reduces the sacred institution of marriage to a business transaction. It degrades a young maiden to the level of a saleable commodity. Poor people have to incur heavy debts to provide their daughter with a handsome dowry. This wrecks them financially. Some people resort to unfair means to meet dowry demands, which poses a grave threat to the moral values of the society. The daughters of poor parents consider themselves a burden on their family and they either opt for a life of disgraceful spinsterhood or commit suicide. The dowry system is also an evil since it perpetuates the myth of male superiority. If a bride is harassed for more dowry, it may breed hatred in her mind for her husband and ruin the married life of the couple. It is very difficult to find a good boy for a girl without paying a high price for the same. Parents of highly educated boys try to demand a large amount of dowry both in cash and in kind. In a way, they fix the rate of dowry according to the education of a boy. In some communities, if the boy is a matriculate, the parents want a dowry of Rs.100,000/- and if he is a post-graduate, they would demand Rs.250,000/- and if he happens to be a doctor or an engineer, price will go up to Rs.500,0000/- or may be more. Thus, whether a parent can pay or not, it has become a compulsory present at the time of marriage. It has ruined the lives of many a brilliant girls, because their parents could not afford to give sufficient dowry to satisfy their in-laws. Sometimes the girls commit suicide when their in-laws persecute them to bring more and more money from their parents. Sometimes the greedy husbands along with their parents also kill their wives, when they are not given huge dowry. This accounts for the spurt in cases of bride-burning and violence on women. The supporter of the dowry system give numerous arguments to justify it. According to them, it is a fine method of setting up an establishment for the newly weds. The second argument is that since the bride 's parents are quite choosy about the groom 's income, his qualifications, this property, why shouldn 't the groom get a price for what he has to offer ? They think that marriage is a girls ' life insurance and so the dowry is the premium. Thirdly, the supporters of this system argue, a girl carrying with her a respectable dowry feels confident while entering her in-law 's house while a girl without dowry feels uneasy and apprehensive. Social reformers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries clearly perceived the pernicious effects of the dowry system and assiduously strove for its abolition. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chander Vidya Sagar and Mahatma Gandhi, to name only a few, tried their best to mobilize public opinion against the system. Gandhiji unequivocally expressed his views against dowry when he said "Any Youngman who makes dowry a condition of marriage discredits his education and his country and dishonors womanhood." From time to time the Government has enacted legislation to extricate the Indian Society from this great social evil. In 1961, it enacted the Dowry Prohibition Act, but the act proved utterly in effective. Instead of showing signs of subsiding, the system took deeper roots, Recently giving or taking of dowry has been made a legally cognizable offence punishable by imprisonment up to two years. Now there is a great demand by the people that this evil of dowry should be eradicated completely. Many girls and boys are taking pledge that they will not accept dowry at the time of their marriage. Their is no doubt that until and unless the educated youths of the country come forward to abolish this evil from our society nothing tangible can be

done to eliminate it once for ever. It is quite heartening to note that during the last few months a strong public opinion has been created against this evil. In reality a strong propaganda should be started against this evil by all responsible persons in the society. The young men and women should stage demonstrations against those persons who give or take dowry. Of course, the Government should also pass stringent laws against this evil but social evils can only be abolished with the active cooperation of the society. The youth can definitely play a key role in eradicating this evil practice. Young boys should take a pledge that they will neither demand a dowry nor accept it, and young girls should be resolved not to give their consent to marriage with a boy who demands a dowry. If more and more girls are educated and made economically independent, it will accelerate the process. More love marriages and more inter-caste and inter-provincial marriages should also prove helpful. One more concrete suggestion, if the Government is really keen on solving this gigantic problem. The Central Government should enact a law by which those young men and girls who enter into 'dowry-less ' marriages should get top priority in all government employment. The cases of 'dowry-free marriages should make the prominent news item in the news bulletin. This would encourage the youth to take the lead.

Here is your essay on Dowry System in India Dowry is derived from the ancient Hindu customs of kanyadan and stridhan. In kanyadan, the father of the bride offers the father of the groom money or property, etc whereas for stridhan, the bride herself gets jewelry and clothes at the time of her marriage, usually from her relatives or friends. In Varadakshina, the father of the bride presents the groom cash or kind. All of these could be done voluntarily and out of affection and love. The Hindu marriage system is sacramental. According to this system, a marriage is forever and there is no scope for a separation. Among the various ceremonies previously practiced, the ceremony in front of a godly fire (Yajna in Sanskrit) has taken over, the old-fashioned system of marrying a wife by capture. This form of marriage began the practice of dowry, where originally, the family of the bride would accept gifts and money from the grooms family as an alternative to bloodshed during the capture of the bride. A later modification of this system has paved way for the present dowry system primarily practiced by the society. The dowry custom continues to rule our society. In majority of Indian families, the boy has legacy rights, while the girl is given a large sum at the time of her marriage in lieu of the government regulated equal rights for girls in parental property. Thus, dowry system has spread in almost all parts of the country and sections of society.

There are several reasons for the occurrence of the dowry system, but the main one is that it is a necessary precondition for marriage. No dowry, no marriage is a widespread fear. There has also been an appearance of a feudal mindset with a materialistic attitude in a new globalised economy. The price tag for the groom is now bigger and bolder. The emergence of an affluent middle class, the torchbearer of social change in modern India, is the main factor for the continuation of the dowry system. Families arrange most marriages, and a man who does not marry for love; he can marry for wealth. For this man and his family, a woman becomes the ticket to shortcut riches through the system of dowry. There are a number of things people desire to have in their own houses but cannot afford; they use the opportunity of a sons marriage to get them. The girls parents do not protest against variety, as they regard the union as a stepping-stone towards higher social status and better matches for the remaining children. Dowry as a phenomenon has gone beyond the ritual of marriage. Pregnancy, childbirth and all kinds of religious and family functions are occasions when such demands are made. A more sophisticated public image of an extended gifting session has replaced the old system. Now there is demand for receptions in marriage places. The trousseau includes designer wear for the bride and grooms family. Chefs are flown in for multi-cuisine wedding dinners. The brides family usually pays for all this. The rich revel in the exchange of their black money, but this in turn exerts pressure on the other classes to ape them with serious social consequences. The women have become a kind of commodity. It is them who are the worst sufferers because dowry is most often a monetary agreement between two men the brides father and the groom. Caste-based practices have only added fuel to the fire. Marriages in political families are arranged to consolidate the caste base for support in electoral politics, so they do not challenge the dowry system. Dowry rituals have now spread even to communities where they were unknown. It has gone to different castes, crossed the boundaries of provinces and education and religion. Muslims and Christians, such as the Syrian Christians of Kerala and the Roman Catholics of Mangalore have started demanding dowry. Official statistics show a steady rise in dowry crimes. More and more women are killed every year in India for dowry. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still record the maximum number of dowry crimes, but

Bangalore, Indias fastest growing city also shows an alarming rise four women reportedly die every day because of dowry harassment and domestic violence. The cases of dowry torture are the highest accounting for 32.4% of crimes against women in the country. The Dowry Prohibition Act, in force since 1st July 1961, was passed with the purpose of prohibiting the demanding, giving and taking of dowry. In 1980, the Government setup a committee that recommended amendments in the Dowry Prohibition Act and also suggested expanding the definition of dowry and instituting family courts and National Commission for women. Many parliamentary debates led to some amendments in 1983,1984 and 1986. To stop the offences of cruelty by husband or his relatives on the wife, Section 498-A was added in the Indian Penal Code and Section 198-A in the Criminal Procedure Code in the year 1983. The Dowry Prohibition Act clearly stipulates that a person who gives or takes or helps in the giving or taking of dowry can be sentenced to jail for 5 years and fined Rs. 15,000/- or the amount of the value of dowry, whichever is more. The Act also prohibits the giving and taking directly or indirectly any property or valuable security, any amount either in cash of kind, jewelry, articles, properties, etc. in respect of a marriage. The control is provided by stating a limit and names of people gifting and their relationship to the married couple to be signed by both sides of parents. In 1986, the Act was amended again, empowering State governments to appoint Dowry Prohibition Officers, who not only had a preventive role but also had powers to collect evidence against people who took dowry. Despite protest by womens organisations, serious activism, legal amendments, special police cells for women, media support and heightened awareness of dowry being a crime, the practice continues unabated on a massive scale. Despite every stigma, dowry continues to be the signature of marriage. Women need real social, political, financial and moral support in their fight against the system. They have to be empowered so that they can take their decisions about their own life by refusing the dowry system.

Our country India, the land of Gods, is respected in the world for her mythological culture. The mythological thinking, the deep belief in almighty and religious nature has made the Indians well cultured. But, sadly there are some of the stained systems in our country which are the black spots in our image. Dowry system is one of those much discussed systems. Although it is one of the most hated systems surprisingly it is growing day by day. Now- a-days this problem has created a lot of hue and cry in our country. This increasing system is a growing injustice to our society and morals. It should be immediately stopped. Marriage is one of the most sacred and holy ceremonies in our society. But the horror of the dowry system has made this ceremony one of the feared institutions. In ancient Indian society there was no question of the dowry in marriages. It was considered to be a sin. The bride-groom was voluntarily presented with some useful gifts which were not demanded at all. In some cases bride's father was offered money to allow her to marry a young man. Because the bride was considered to be a virtuous arid the suitable one. But the whole situation has altered. Nobody bothers to approach a girl's parents for her marriage. The parents of the girl desperately move in search of a suitable groom for her now. They persuade the groom's parents and show them the temptation of money and dowry. Through these unfair means they get the consent of the groom's parents for his marriage. Thus begins the clandestine atmosphere of dowry. The groom's father continues to place a series of demands before the bride's father. He strongly asserts that these demands must be fulfilled before marriage. Otherwise he can never consent to his son's marriage. The demands include refrigerator, colour television, motor cycle or car, ornaments of pure gold of sizeable quantity, money and plots of land in the capital area. In some case bride grooms are demanding money for their education and for constructing buildings. Bride grooms are purchased, to some extent, like marketable commodity. Dowry system is an insult to our society. It reduces the position of both man and woman. Many educated men are demanding dowry. Thus dowry system is also an insult to our education and culture. Poor people cannot afford dowry. Many handsome and brilliant girls remain unmarried because they are poor. Even after marriage, some brides are tortured and forced to bring more and more dowry from their parents' house. If they fail, they are tortured and finally killed. The problem of dowry has reached the climax. There is no attempt for matching beauty with beauty, or brain for brain. Strict laws have been prescribed to check dowry system. But nobody looks at it. Rich people are giving heavy dowry to their daughters. They do not feel unhappy at such crime. Dowry system continues in spite of all steps to check it. However, it can be completely checked if the awareness

against this system is created among the girls. If they vow not to marry greedy men, if they become economically self-dependent, then this ugly system will automatically disappear.

Allah Ki Kitab Kya Kehti Hai. An-Nisaa (4) Ayat (Verse) No.: 4 And Give Unto The Women (On Marriage) Their Dower (Mahr), ( Whom Ye Marry ) Free Gift Of Their Marriage Portions ; But If They Of Their Own Accord Remit Unto You A Part Thereof , Then Ye Are Welcome To Absorb It ( In Your Wealth ) . An-Nisaa (4) Ayat (Verse) No.: 24 Also (Prohibited Are) Women Already Married, Except Those Whom Your Right Hands Possess: Thus Hath Allah Ordained (Prohibitions) Against You: Except For These, All Others Are Lawful, Provided Ye Seek (Them In Marriage) With Mahr (Dower, A Bridal Money Given By The Husband To His Wife At The Time Of Marriage) From Your Property,- Desiring Chastity, Not Lust, Seeing That Ye Derive Benefit From Them, Give Them Their Dowers (At Least) As Prescribed; But If, After A Dower Is Prescribed, Agree Mutually (To Vary It), There Is No Blame On You, And Allah Is All-Knowing, All-Wise Hadeeson Par Nazar Dalte Hain In The First Era Of Islam Marriage Was A Simple Affair, Without Pomp Or Ceremony. Any Expenditure Incurred In Its Performance Was Quite Minimal, And Not A Burden On Either Family. Indeed, The Prophet Stated: 'The Most Blessed Marriage Is One In Which The Marriage Partners Place The Least Burden On Each Other.' (Al-Haythami, Kitab Ab-Nikah, 4:255). The Prophet Gave Each Of His Wives A Payment Of Mahr, Ranging From Token Sums, The Granting Of Freedom From Slavery When Being Made A Wife, To The Payment Of 400-500 Dirhams. His Wife Umm Habibah's Mahr Consisted Of 4000 Dirhams, This Sum Having Been Fixed By Najashi, The Negus (A Christian Ruler) Of Abyssinia. (Abu Dawud, Kitab An-Nikah, 2:235). In Tamaam Qurani Aayat Aur Ahadees Se Wazeh Hota Hai K Shadi Ek Sadgi Ka

Naam Hai Shadi Se Muashra Sudharta Hai Do Khandan Aabad Hote Hain Nayi Nasl Ki Shuruat Hoti Hai Aur Aisi Koi Aayat Nahi Na Hi Hadees Hai Jisme Hai K Ladki Ko Dahej Dena Chahiye Sare Dalail Cheekh Cheekh Kar Keh Rahe Hain Ki Ladke Ko Mahr Dena Chahiye Allah K Farman Bhi Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Ka Qaul Bhi Aur Sahaba Ikram Ki Jamat Bhi. Ham Kahan Hain Kya Sach Me Ham Musalman Hain Kya Sach Me Ham Islam Ko Manne Wale Hain Har Mamle Me Hamne Islam Ki Taleemat Ko Chor Rakha Hai... Ab Aayiye Us Baat Ki Taraf Jo Ye Jhoota Dawa Karte Hain Aur Isse Hi Samaj Me Bigad Phaila Jahez Ka. Wo Ye K Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Ne Hazrat Fatima R.A Ko Jahez Diya, Ye Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Par Tohmat Hai Aur Isko Darr Na Chahiye Allah Se Uske Azaab Se Aur Loog Jo Is Wahem Me Mubtila Hain Unko Tahqeeq Karna Chahiye Adhi Taqleed Gumrahi Hai, Is Haqeeqat Par Nazar Dalte Hain... Hadees Is Tarah Se Hai: Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam K Paas Abu Bakar Siddiqe R.A, Umar Farooq R.A, Usman Gani R.A Aate Hain Aur Ali R.A K Nikah K Bare Me Baat Rakhte Hain Aur Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Puchte Hain Kya Ali Razi Hain To Kehte Hain Haan Wo Razi Hain To Phir Baat Tai Huyi Jab Hazrat Ali R.A Samne Aaye To Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Ne Pucha Ali Apke Paas Fatima Ko Dene Maher Me Kya Hai To Ali R.A Kehte Hain Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Main To Bachpan Se Apke Paas Raha Hun Mere Paas To Kuch Bhi Nahi Haan Jung E Badar Me Ye Zira Mujhe Mili Thi Ek Talwar Aur Dhal To Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Kaha Talwar Aur Dhal To Kaam Aayegi Isko Rakhlo Aur Ye Zira Bech Kar Iski Keemat Leke Aau Yehi Apka Maher Hoga Aur Ussi Se Apka Nikah Hoga, Phir Ali R.A Gaye Bechne Usman R.A K Paas Wo Us Zira Ko Khareed Liye 400 Dinar Me Phir Unse Kaha Kya Ab Main Is Zira Ko Kise Bhi Dedun Ali R.A Ne Kaha Ab Ye Apka Hai Aap Jo Chahen Karen To Usman R.A Ne Ali Ko Hi Wo Tohfeh Me Dedi Phir Ali R.A Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam Jakar Sab Bayan Kiye Phir Aapne Unse Wo Paise Lekar Unka Maher Tai Kiya Aur Ussi Paison Se Do Chakhiyan Lin, Ek Chatai Li, Aur Ek Sahabi K Makan Me Apka Intezam Kiya Aur Kuch Khane Pakane Ki Cheezon Ko Bhi Apne Kharid Kar Diya Wo Isliye K Ali R.A Shuru Se Hi Allah Ki Rasul Sallellahualayhi Wasallam K Paas Rehte The To Unke Paas Koi Saman Nahi Tha To Inhi Ki Zira Bech Kar Inhe K Paison Me Se Liya Gaya Hai.Subhan Allah Referrence : Tabqat Ibn Saad, Al Jalalain, Tariq Ul Tabri, Ibn Hisham, Sahi Muslim Aur Sahi Bukhari (Baab Al Nikah Me Puri Tafseel Maujood Hai ) To Iski Asal Shakal Ye Hain Jisko Zalimon Ne Badha Chara Kar Todh Madhod Kar Aaj Pure Samajh Ko Bigad Diya Hai Hinduon Ki Rasmo Ko Apne Zindagion Me Utar

Liye Hain. Yeh Rasm Ab Hamein Hi Khatam Karni Ho Gi.... ALLAH Hame Deen Ki Sahi Samajh Aata Farmaye Aameen -