Marriage and Divorce in Islam

Marriage is a sacred institution. According to the biological system devised by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ to spread mankind to earth, people are born into this world through sexual intercourse between man and woman, with the exception of miraculous birth of Hawa and Isa عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام and the creation of first man, Hazrat Adam عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام.

Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ says in Holy Quran:

فَانْكِحُوْا  مَا  طَابَ  لَكُمْ  مِّنَ  النِّسَآءِ  مَثْنٰى  وَ  ثُلٰثَ  وَ  رُبٰعَۚ

Marry the women who please you, two, or three or four

(Al Nisaa, 3)

The beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ encouraged marriage in these words:

Narrated `Abdullah رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ: We were with the Prophetصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said: "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power." Marriage is not only the source of increase in human population but it is prescribed by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ to introduce family system where there is a husband and a wife who become father and mother on birth of children. After some period of time these children become parents and this cycle of family system circulates. This family system results to a greater human society. Man can reproduce without any wedlock of marriage and it will increase human population surely but it cannot form the family system and as a result there would not be a good human society.

Marriage is not found in animals as their needs of life are fulfilled by different sources and they don’t need to depend upon each other for it.  In case of human being marriage is necessary to create a good family and good society and basically for the fulfillment of needs of every individual. In a case if we do not know about the mother and father of a child then who will be responsible of upbringing that child. In the society rare cases of this type are observed and society gives support to these types of children but if every child is of this type the society will not be created and there will be no one to give support to these children.

The system of marriage is devised to avoid many problems of this sort. It bonds the people in a best manner possible and it has always been considered a sacred bond. Marriage gives a woman role of wife and this role of woman varies according to society. There are many rights and duties of a man and woman after their bondage in the bond of marriage and the married couples who understand their duties and rights of each other create a good family. Marriage is the system which protects the women from becoming victims of men’s tyranny and oppression and it also dignifies the women in society. The misbehavior of any of the partner to the other should be corrected by themselves or the society but if the conditions are so worst and the two life partners cannot further live in this bondage then Islam devised the concept of divorce for them. However, permitted divorce is most undesirable to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ as shown in this Hadith.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُمَا: The Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said:

“Of all the lawful acts the most detestable to Allah is divorce.”

So it is clear from this Hadees that divorce is not liked but this is the way out in a case of unavoidable trouble. Islam gives us a beautiful society building system may Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ enable us to understand and act upon the ruling of Islam! Ameen