Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
7. Concerning divorce
~ 165 ~
This makes it clear that a true believer should
wholeheartedly accept the arbiters and their verdict
in accordance with the Qur’anic injunctions. Once
their verdict is given, there should be no further
dispute.
TWO WAYS OF DIVORCING
However, it has to be conceded that life does not
always function smoothly, like a machine. Despite
all safeguards, it sometimes does happen that a
couple reaches· a stage of such desperation that
they become intent on separation. Here the
shari’ah
gives them guidance in that it prescribes a specific
method for separation. The Qur’an expresses it
thus: “Divorce may be pronounced twice, then a
woman must be retained in honor or allowed to go
with kindness.”
143
This verse has been interpreted to mean that a man
who has twice given notice of divorce over a period
of two months should remember God before giving
notice a third time. Then he should either keep his
spouse with him in a spirit of goodwill, or he
should release her without doing her any injustice.
