Comparative Study of Status and Nature of Increase in Marriage Portion in Jurisprudence of Islamic Denominations and Iranian Law

Subject of post-matrimonial increase in marriage portion is one of the controversial juristic and legal topics. This subject that is concerned with this point that if such a measure is basically proper and practical or it is exposed to juristic and legal prohibition is a question to which contradictory and different approaches have been proposed as response in the judicial precedent of relevant courts and institutions. The second question that may strike in mind following of the former is that if such an increase has the nature and regulation of the same marriage portion or specific essence and rules will be applicable to it. Difference of opinion and viewpoint is clearly visible between Islamic denominations in Islamic Jurisprudence so that some groups in Shiite jurisprudence believe in lack of absolute permission for such an increase while the minor group argues in favour of this permission. Another group distinguishes among temporary and permanent marriages and has assumed this trend as proper only in temporary marriage. Increase in marriage portion has been accepted in Hanafi, Hanbali and Maliki jurisprudence (Sunnite denominations), but they disputed over nature and rules of this procedure. Shafi‘i jurists do not basically consider increase in marriage portion as proper. There is also such difference of opinions in Iranian legal system so that even uniform award of public board of Justice Administrative Court and comment of Guardian Council, which have been presented in this regard, could not clearly identify this topic. Using analytical-descriptive methodology in this paper, it has been tried to present, criticize and analyse comments of various Islamic denominations (Shiite, Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi‘i denominations) by documents and related evidences. At the end, it was believed that with respect to the existing legal bases, increase in marriage portion may not be assumed as proper, while it was tried to propose appropriate strategy with regard to time and place expediencies and conditions based on current fundamentals throughout this paper.