Celebrating the wedding ceremony at the bride's house and buying the marriage needs from her dowry
Question
In East Turkistan, wedding ceremonies are held at the bride's house. It is also the custom for the bride's guardian to take her dowry to buy her marriage needs such as gold and clothes and spend the rest on the wedding ceremony. Is this permissible? Does holding the wedding ceremony in the bride's house contradict Islamic law or is it an innovation?
Answer
It is permissible to hold the wedding ceremony at the bride's house due to the presumption of permissibility of all things unless there is a clear text to the contrary.
This does not contradict Islamic law in any way nor is it an innovation [bid'a]. Those who maintain that it is an innovation are excessively strict and are those who introduce unprecedented matters into religion.
The bride's dowry is her property and no one from among her family or others are entitled to any of it except with her consent. Allah Almighty says:
And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously [Qur`an 4: 4].
And it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless both fear that they will not be able to keep [within] the limits of Allah [Qur`an 2: 229].
In the Qur`anic verse, Allah ascribed the dowry to the bride and not to anyone else, relatives or otherwise. As for the guardian, he is entrusted with his charge's interests; therefore there is no objection to spending the bride's dowry or part of it on the above mentioned expenditures with her consent.
Allah Almighty knows best.