Saudi man divorces four wives in three years to get their dowries back

The case of a Saudi man who married and divorced four wives over three years is going viral in Saudi Arabia. 

According to Okaz newspaper, the man would marry a woman then mistreat her and do things that would lead her to forcefully divorce him on the condition that he gets back her dowry. 

The man reportedly prides himself on conning women out of their dowries and forcing them to relent all their material rights when they file for divorce. 

However, it seems like he won't be able to get money out of his fourth divorce because when his last wife decided to end the marriage, a legal source advised her to file for separation citing the man's mistreatment. 

With that, she wouldn't be ordered to pay him any money as the marriage contract would be terminated based on proof that he had been responsible for the end of the union. 

Evidence against the man would also include his previous failed marriages. 

"I want to know how people like him get married in the first place. He's supposed to have a bad reputation, how are families agreeing to these marriages." 

"This is the only way to prevent a husband from hurting her because whatever he does he'll know he won't be getting money back." 

"What is surprising is that a woman would agree to marry him even after so many failed marriages." 

When a Muslim woman forcefully divorces her husband - also known as kulh' in Arabic - she does have to remunerate him with money he paid as dowry. 

According to the Egyptian Dar Al-Ifta, this is "because the mahr (dowry) is paid by the husband to his wife in return for a gain or benefit he receives as a result of the marriage. When the marriage is terminated at the wife's request, that benefit or gain ceases to exist and he is therefore entitled to compensation."

"It is up to the man and his wife to agree to a lesser compensation. Most scholars agree that the compensation may be more than the mahr itself, but some scholars say that this is not permissible," the Ifta's fatwa reads. 

In the case that a woman is not able to pay the money, it is recommended that the man she's divorcing forgo his right to remuneration, however, it is permissible for him to insist on getting money back. 

From the legal aspect, Saudi lawyer Bayan Zahran said that while many husbands can cash back on their dowries when their wives file for divorce, there are conditions to that. 

Speaking to Sayidaty Magazine, Al Zahran explained that if a woman can prove that she was mistreated during her marriage, she doesn't have to pay back her dowry. 

However, a man has a right to receive remuneration in cases where a woman has no evidence of mistreatment.