Discussion on divorcing a woman who is of bad character.

The Shaykh: Regarding his desire to divorce her because of the character traits he mentioned, and so that he does not become one of the regretful.
The student : ... .

The Shaykh: That is not my question; I know... For example, there are people who are not affected by the saying: "He who does not look at the consequences, time will not be his companion." I am thinking about the future if he divorces her because she is of bad character. He is referring here to a hadith, and the hadith is authentic. So if she is, at the time, one who testifies that she is a Salafi, but it is also testified that she is of bad character, then it is prescribed for him to divorce her.

The questioner: I ask regarding the hadith about bad character, what does it mean?

The Shaykh: What does it mean? Bad character does not mean, God forbid, that she is a fornicator, or as it came in the hadith: She is of bad character; he orders her and she does not obey.

The questioner: Is that all?

The Shaykh: Yes, she is arrogant toward him, as mentioned here, or as stated here, by raising her voice at him, and so on. This, of course, makes the husband's life hateful, even if she is righteous, even if she stands in prayer at night and fasts during the day, because this standing and fasting is for her benefit, but the husband wants mental peace... and the like. The important thing: My answer is that if he sees that if he divorces her, he will be patient regarding her, and that he hopes to find someone better than her in religion and character, because as it came in the hadith, addressed to the woman's guardian: So likewise we say: O husband, if you are not pleased with your wife's character and you want to divorce her, and you contemplate finding someone better than her in her religion and character, then this... Therefore, I want this person to know that the fatwa in my view is in two parts: The answer is that it is permissible, but think about the consequence. The consequence is that you feel she is a Salafi, which means something good and rare in the present age, which is countered by her bad character, as he says. Then he has a son, and as I mentioned, a second one may come, and he will fall into the problem of maintenance and raising the son and the other son, and so on. So if he thinks and ponders this matter and is reassured that divorcing her will give him relief, it is religiously permissible. Is this clear? Good.