One day, a woman came to see the Prophet of Allah [PBUH= Allah's blessings and Peace be upon him] and said: "Oh! Messenger of Allah! I do not have a husband and I want to be a good wife; i give myself to you."

The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] kept silent for a long while.

Suddenly, a man who was present stood up and asked if the woman would accept him for a husband.

The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] said: "Do you have anything to give her as a dowry."

The man thought and said: "I have half of my cloth," and indeed he was wearing a single cloth around him.

"If you give her part of this cloth, you will have nothing to wear anymore; it will become her possession. Find something else." Since at this time the followers of Islam and the Prophet himself [PBUH] were poor, the man thought again a long time and declared: "No, I do not possess a thing to give her."

The Messenger of Allah then told him: "Go to your house and look for something, even if it is an iron ring."

The man departed and came back a while later, and declared: "I looked everywhere, but I did not find anything to give her as her dowry."

After reflection, the Prophet of Allah [PBUH]said: "Did you learn some of the Qur'an?"

"Yes, I have learned by heart so-and-so Surahs [chapters of the Qur'an]"

The Messenger of Alah [PBUH] therefore declared: "Teach her what you know of the Qur'an, and this will constitute her dowry."

The couple felt contented with what was proposed, and they got married.