Woman Between Islam and Western Society
8. Concerning Divorce
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This prescribed method of divorce has ensured that
it is a well-considered, planned arrangement and
not just a rash step taken in a fit of emotion. When
we remember that in most cases, divorce is the
result of a fit of anger, we realize that the prescribed
method places a tremendous curb on divorce. It
takes into account the fact that anger never lasts —
tempers necessarily cool down after some time —
and that those who feel like divorcing their wives in
a fit of anger will certainly repent their emotional
outburst and will wish to withdraw from the
position it has put them in. It also takes into account
the fact that divorce is a not a simple matter: it
amounts to the breaking up of the home and
destroying the children’s future. It is only when
tempers have cooled down that the dire
consequences of divorce are realized, and the
necessity to revoke the decision becomes clear.
When a man marries a woman, he has to say only
once that he accepts her as his spouse. But for
divorce, the Quran enjoins a three-month period for
it to be finalized. That is, for marriage, one
utterance is enough, but for a divorce to be
finalized, three utterances are required, between
