[Q 734] Khula: Returning Mehr & Wedding Costs

Question

If a woman asks for a khula. Does she have to return her haq mehr or does she also have to reimburse the mans family for expenses e.g wedding expenses and other things.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

Khula means a woman obtaining talaq in exchange for some compensation, with the husband also agreeing to it. Now, whatever compensation is stipulated, it will be obligatory upon the woman to give that. If Khula is taken in exchange for the dower (Haq Mehr), then it will be obligatory to pay the amount of the dower. And if the dower was not stipulated as compensation, then after its payment by the husband, the woman becomes its owner. She can use it for any permissible purpose she wishes; the husband has no right in it. Similarly, in the case of taking Khula, it is not obligatory upon the woman to return expenses incurred during the wedding or other occasions.

We have generally stated the Shari’ah rulings. If you are facing a specific situation, you should explain its details and ascertain its ruling from the scholars of Ahl-e-Sunnat.

It is stated in Sharh Mukhtasar al-Karkhi:

والخلع عندنا عبارة عن عقد على الطلاق بعوض۔

(Sharh Mukhtasar al-Karkhi, vol. 4, p. 42)

It is stated in Al-Ikhtiyar li Ta’leel al-Mukhtar:

وهو أن تفتدي المرأة نفسها بمال ليخلعها به، فإذا فعلا لزمها المال ووقعت تطليقة بائنة،

(Al-Ikhtiyar li Ta’leel al-Mukhtar, vol. 3, p. 156)

Answered by: Mubashir Madani (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 1st October 2026