No place of arbitrary actions
Allah has not given wild authority to men to divorce their wives, bur set five conditions before taking the extreme decision. Two surah of the holy Quran have verses on divorce, conditions and its application. Allah says if women become rebellious, [first] advise them, [then if they persist], forsake them in bed, and lightly strike them. And if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them.
And yet after this it there is no reconciliation between the two, appoint an arbitrator from his people and an arbitrator from her people. If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause it between them.
But if the arbitration board fails, then husbands will pronounce ‘divorce’ thrice in three consecutive months to end the conjugal life. However, there will be no separation if divorce is pronounced once or even thrice in single sitting. A school of thought says even if divorce is pronounced one hundred times in a single sitting, it will be counted as one only. If husbands and wives reconcile, they can continue their conjugal life without remarriage.
Women also can divorce their husbands if they fear oppression or ill-treatment. In that case, they will exercise the power delegated to them at the time of registration, or will go to the court.
About wife beating, the Prophet Muhammad (SM) said, care should be taken that no injury takes place during correction, adding that a good man does not beat his wife. Finally, the Prophet in his farewell Hajj speech banned beating wife. It means that beating of wife is not lawful in Islam and hence the government should make new law incorporating severe punishment like jail or fine or both in case of violation.
Ameer Hamzah
Dhaka
