Marriage is a firm union between a man and his wife, and it requires you to meet certain conditions to ensure a happy, conjugal life. There are times due to unavoidable circumstances, Muslims choose certain egregious reasons for divorce. Islam strongly supports early marriage and advises Muslims against breaching the marriage contract.
But because of certain unfortunate circumstances, the matrimonial contract for Muslims is broken. One such dissolution is by following the process of divorce. Under Islamic Shariah law, divorce takes place upon an agreement between both parties based on the court of law. Divorce should not be considered as the rule of life.
Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, that among the things that have been permitted in Islam, divorce is undoubtedly the worst. Unless absolutely necessary, divorce should be avoided.
Top 5 Reasons for Divorce
Muslim Life Partner?
With the proper attitude and the right Islamic spirit, you must only seek divorce in unavoidable circumstances. The reason divorce is so hated is that it brings dire consequences and scars families.
Divorce leads to intense emotional and psychological scars. Taking all these into consideration, Islam considers marriage as a dignified contract. Islam recommends all Muslims to get married in the name of Allah SWT and keep marriage intact. A sound marriage is the foundation of a prosperous family.
Below are the top 5 reasons for divorce. Divorce is never desirable, but under certain circumstances, divorce becomes inevitable
1. Addiction
If either the husband or the wife denied before marriage that he or she consumed alcohol or any other form of illegal substance, then this can act as a legitimate reason to ask for divorce.
2. Infidelity in Marriage
The building block of marriage is to have trust and confidence among the husband and wife. If either the husband or the wife cannot remain committed to each other and cannot preserve their chastity, then divorce may be the only option. When a marriage leads to infidelity, then the relationship cannot be restored.
3. Unable to serve the purpose of Marriage
As spouses, you may be unable to fulfill the objectives necessary within a marriage. The husband and the wife can turn out to be totally incompatible as partners. It may come to the point that you’re unable to resolve each other’s differences. Furthermore, your temperaments may not match either. In such a scenario, divorce may be the only choice.
4. Emotional Physical & Mental Abuse
There may be a point where spouses resort to physical, emotional, and mental abuse. Any such acts are unacceptable in any relationship. When couples perform such acts, it may be the result of internal issues. As couples, you must acknowledge this and resolve the issue through counseling or therapy. Otherwise, this may turn out to be a justifiable reason behind divorce.
Islamic principles state that – “There shall be no inflicting of harm to oneself or any other fellow human being”
Injustice has zero tolerance for Islam, irrespective of who is the perpetrator.
5. The husband is unable to provide
The man needs to provide for the family. If he cannot fulfill his responsibilities and refuses to carry out his duty, then the wife has genuine grounds to file for divorce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which legitimate reasons will cause a couple to consider divorce?
A1. Some reasons why you can consider divorce to be valid are as follows –
- If a wife refuses to live with her husband.
- Either the man or the woman are cruel towards each other.
- If spouses cannot have a proper conjugal relationship.
- When a man cannot or doesn’t agree to support his wife.
- If the woman you married did not inform you of her previous marriage.
- If a woman gets married to a man who’s impotent she finds this out after marriage.
But you must be cautious and ponder about the reasons for divorce. It is important that you look at every case individually.
Q2. What can we, as couples, do to avoid divorce?
A2. If you’re facing difficulty as a couple, then you should follow the steps below to avoid divorce –
- As spouses, you must always fear Allah SWT. You need to always remember that being unjust towards your spouse means Allah will judge you based on your behavior.
- In case you face any problems with your spouse, you must take the initiative to resolve it with the help of your family members.
- You should take help from other members of the community to resolve matters related to your marriage. The local imam can act as a trustworthy individual to solve your marital problems.
- If you plan on getting counseling sessions as a couple, choose a practicing Muslim counselor. It is preferable that the Muslim scholar is aware of the Islamic guidelines so that they remain aware of the Islamic values.
- You are also advised to make a prenuptial agreement and mention all the potential conflicts that may happen in marriage. And any conflict should be managed by means of Islamic regulations.
Even if a divorce takes place, spouses must follow the process and handle it properly by talking to an Imam.
Conclusion
If you go through any of the aforementioned scenarios, then you hold a strong ground for divorce. But under any of these legitimate reasons, if your spouse refuses to divorce you, then you have every right to approach the authority to file for a divorce. The judgment passed by the authority in such a scenario would be valid in Islam.
But keep in mind, that divorce is never encouraged in Islam because of its long-term psychological effects on families and individuals. So, you must think twice before making any decisions related to divorce. Upon going through this article, you’ll have insight into the top five reasons for divorce in Islam.
- What Is Nikah (Nikkah) In Islam? - June 12, 2024
- Walima Meaning | Everything You Need To Know - June 10, 2024
- Muzmatch Vs Salams | Differences You Should Know - June 5, 2024