Two Ways of Divorcing

DIVORCE IN ISLAM if he has had a change of heart. If, however, in the third month, he says, “I divorce you,” the divorce becomes final, and the man ceases to have any right to revoke it. Now, he is obliged to part with his wife in a spirit of goodwill and give her full rights. This prescribed method of divorce has ensured that it is a well-considered, planned arrangement and not just a rash step taken in a fit of emotion. When we remember that, in most cases, divorce is the result of a fit of anger, we realize that the prescribed method places a tremendous curb on divorce. It considers that anger never lasts— tempers necessarily cool down after some time—and that those who feel like divorcing their wives in a fit of rage will indeed repent their emotional outburst and wish to withdraw from the position it has put them in. It also considers that divorce is not a simple matter: it amounts to breaking up the home and destroying the children’s future. It is only when tempers have cooled down that the dire consequences of divorce are realized, and the necessity to revoke the decision becomes clear. When a man marries a woman, he has to say only once that he accepts her as his spouse. However, the Quran requires three months for divorce to be formalized. One utterance is enough for marriage, but three utterances are needed for a divorce to be finalized, between which the shariah has prescribed a long gap. The purpose of this gap is to give the husband sufficient time to revise his decision and to consult the well-wishers around him. It also allows time for