Woman Between Islam and Western Society
8. Concerning Divorce
~ 408 ~
marriage. In Islam, marriage is both a civil contract
entered into by mutual consent of the bride and
groom, and a highly sacred bond to which great
religious and social importance is attached. As an
institution, it is a cohesive force in society, and
worth protecting and preserving for that reason. To
that end, detailed injunctions have been prescribed
to maintain its stability and promote its betterment.
However, in the knowledge that an excess of legal
constraints can lead to rebellion, such injunctions
have been kept to a realistic minimum and have
been formulated to be consistent with normal
human capabilities. Moreover, their enforcement is
less relied upon than the religious conditioning of
the individual to ensure the maintenance of high
ethical standards and appropriate conduct in
marital affairs and family life.
The state of marriage not only lays the foundations
for family life, but also provides a training ground
for individuals to make a positive adjustment to
society. When a man and woman prove to be a
good husband and a good wife, they will certainly
prove to be good citizens in the broad spectrum of
