Seamstresses and others charging more for brides than other customers

Question: 98481

I would like to ask about a matter pertaining to brides. When the bride goes to get her dress made or to get her hair done for her wedding, the seamstress or hairdresser asks: Are you a bride or not? In other words, are you preparing for your wedding? Because if I am a bride, they will double the price, but if I am not a bride, then the price will be at the normal rate. So is it permissible for me to tell her that I am not a bride, whilst telling myself that in fact I am not a bride at this moment when she asks me the question, meaning that the husband has not yet consummated the marriage with me?

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

It is permissible to charge a known fee for sewing a dress or fixing a hairdo that is agreed upon by both parties, and there is no differentiation in that regard between brides and others. However charging a higher price for brides, that is above the regular fee, without doing extra work comes under the heading of taking advantage of people’s need and consuming their wealth unlawfully.

Therefore there is nothing wrong with you concealing the fact that you are a bride and agreeing with the seamstress or hairdresser on a known price in return for known work.

You can use a double entendre in answering her question, or you can say: “I am not a bride,” because the marriage has not been consummated yet. That is because, according to Ibn al-Atheer in an-Nihaayah (3/206), the Arabic word ‘aroos (bride) refers to the newly-wed woman whose marriage has been consummated.

For more information, please see the answer to question no. 11446 .

And Allah knows best.

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