▁their ▁majority ▁( wh ose ▁definition ▁var ies ▁according ▁to ▁legal ▁school ), ▁while ▁the ▁father ▁retain s ▁guard ians hip . ▁ ▁Child ▁cust ody ▁practices ▁under ▁Ott oman ▁rule ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁followed ▁the ▁rules ▁of ▁H ana fi ▁jur id pr ud ence , ▁although ▁in ▁Ott oman ▁Egypt ▁children ▁generally ▁stayed ▁with ▁their ▁divor ced ▁mother ▁beyond ▁the ▁pres cribed ▁age . ▁A ▁divor ced ▁woman ▁could ▁keep ▁cust ody ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁unless ▁she ▁rem ar ried ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁claimed ▁cust ody , ▁in ▁which ▁case ▁it ▁generally ▁passed ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁female ▁relatives . ▁Under ▁the ▁Mam lu ks , ▁women ▁could ▁wa ive ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁child ▁support ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁obtain ▁extended ▁cust ody . ▁ ▁D ower ▁( ma hr ) ▁in ▁divor ce ▁M ahr ▁is ▁a ▁nu pt ial ▁gift ▁made ▁by ▁gro om ▁to ▁the ▁b ride ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁marriage . ▁Upon ▁rece ipt , ▁it ▁becomes ▁her ▁sole ▁property ▁with ▁complete ▁freedom ▁of ▁use ▁and ▁dispos al . ▁The ▁marriage ▁contract ▁is ▁not ▁valid ▁without ▁the ▁ma hr . ▁The ▁amount ▁of ▁the ▁ma hr ▁generally ▁dep ended ▁on ▁the ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁b ride . ▁The ▁payment ▁of ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁ma hr ▁was ▁commonly ▁de ferred ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁d eter rent ▁to ▁the ▁exercise ▁of ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁un il ater al ▁divor ce ▁by ▁the ▁husband , ▁although ▁classical ▁jur ists ▁disag re ed