The Ruling on Divorce

The Shaykh : Divorce is the dissolution of the marriage bond, because once the contract is concluded with a woman, it becomes a binding covenant between the man and the woman. So if he divorces her, he has released her from this bond and dissolved the marriage contract. This is what divorce is. We ask: What is the ruling on divorce in principle? Divorce is disliked in principle. It is disliked for a man to divorce his wife except for a legitimate religious reason, because if he divorces her, he loses the benefits of marriage and breaks the woman. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So we tell the man, if he sees something he dislikes in his wife, we say: be patient, wait. Perhaps Allah will change hearts, perhaps circumstances will change. Allah the Exalted said: And so we find that many people divorce their wives and immediately regret it, then they come to the scholars to ask about taking her back. But if he had been patient, it would have been better for him. So divorce is disliked in principle, but divorce may be recommended. We may tell the husband that it is better for him to divorce her. When? If he sees that his wife cannot live with him, and he sees that her heart is narrow and that she dislikes staying with him, then it is an act of excellence toward her for him to divorce her to relieve her and be good to her. For some women have a dislike for their husband in their hearts, either for a reason or without a reason. So it is better for him to divorce her.