The Meaning of Allah’s Saying: “Then Divorce Them” and the Explanation of the Ruling on Divorce. Mentioning the People’s Negligence in It.

The Shaykh : And His saying: Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not specify in this verse the ruling on divorce. Is divorce permissible? Is it prohibited? Is it obligatory? Is it recommended? We say in answer to these questions that the original ruling on divorce is that it is disliked. This is because it severs the bonds of connection between the woman and her husband, and perhaps the connection between the man and his wife’s family is severed because of this divorce. Also, divorce causes the loss of the great benefits that follow from marriage. For this reason, we say that the original ruling is that it is disliked. However, if it is needed—if it is needed because of the bad conduct of the woman, or the bad conduct of the husband, or for any of the reasons—then at that time it becomes permissible. Its permissibility is from the mercy of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) toward His servants, because a person may need it. The woman may be of bad conduct, or the woman may not be compatible with his family, or the man may fall ill such that he is unable to fulfill the rights of the marital relationship. The reasons for divorce are many. So when the reason exists, it becomes lawful. And let it be known that it is very regrettable that many people today have become negligent regarding divorce, divorcing their wives for the slightest reason. And many people have become playful with divorce, swearing by it constantly and for the slightest reason. For example, he says to his wife: “If you do such and such, you are divorced.” Or he says: “If I do such and such, my wife is divorced,” and words like that. Especially in the desert, for many of them from the desert, when a guest comes to him and he wants to honor him with hospitality by slaughtering a sheep or the like for him, he says: “I swear by divorce, will you not slaughter?” And the other says: “I swear by divorce that I will slaughter.” And at that time, a collision occurs. So what I advise our brothers is not to be negligent in the matter of divorce, and to consider divorce a difficult matter, because for example