The Casual Approach to Divorce

Question:
Your Eminence, Shaykh Abdul Aziz, people are being casual with the pronouncement of divorce, and then they come to the scholars to seek a ruling on this. Do you have a guiding word on this matter, may you be rewarded?

Answer:
Yes, we advise all our brothers to be cautious about being casual with divorce; because it separates a man from his family. In the authentic hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is how it was reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) with a good chain of narration. So what is prescribed for the believer is to be careful, and to guard against what separates him from his family, and to address the matters and problems between him and his family with wisdom, kind words, and a good manner, not with divorce. Divorce separates the two spouses. The believer should guard against divorce except with intent, with purpose, with a desire for divorce, in which case there is no harm. Otherwise, let him guard against pronouncing divorce because of problems and anger. Rather, he should seek to solve problems with kind words and a good manner that ends the problems without resorting to divorce. As for if he desires divorce because of her bad character, or for other reasons, there is no harm. Allah has legislated divorce. He pronounces it once and does not go beyond that. He pronounces it once, and praise be to Allah, one pronouncement. Yes.

The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence the Shaykh.