Woman Between Islam and Western Society
8. Concerning Divorce
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the duty of the son to provide, that is, food,
drink, clothes, house and even servants, if
possible.
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3. In the case of the father being deceased, and
where even her children are unable to earn, her
nearest relatives such as brothers or uncles are
responsible for her upkeep. In the absence of even
this third form, the Islamic
shari’ah
holds the State
Treasury
(baitumal)
responsible for bearing her
expenses. She will be entitled to receive the money
for her necessities.
Because of the number of provisions made under
Islamic law for women it has never been the case in
Islamic history that Muslim divorced women have
been cast adrift, helpless, with no one to look after
them.
Indian columnist Khushwant Singh has remarked
that we do not hear of Muslim women committing
suicide or being tortured like Hindu women, which
is a proof that Islam has already given them
adequate liberty and has made enough provision
for them to be supported in times of emergencies.
