Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
7. Concerning divorce
~ 156 ~
regarding divorce, the main point being that divorce
should be sought only under unavoidable
circumstances. The Prophet spoke of it as being the
most hateful of all the lawful things in the eyes of
God, and said that when it does take place, it should
be done in an atmosphere of good will. In no way
should one harbor ill-will against the other.
134
134. Abu Dawud,
Sunan, Kitab at-Talaq,
2/255.
THE MEANING OF PROVISION
In Islamic jurisprudence, the material arrangements
which a man makes for his divorced spouse are
termed “divorce provision.” There is a consensus
among Muslim scholars that this provision in no
way means life-long maintenance, there being
absolutely no basis for this in the divine scriptures.
The concept of maintenance for life is, in fact, a
product of modern civilization. It was never at any
time enshrined in divine laws, either in Islam,
Judaism or Christianity. In material terms
‘provision’ simply takes the form of a gift handed
over by the man on parting, so that the woman’s
immediate needs may be catered for, and in all
cases, this is quite commensurate with his means.
