A religiously correct divorce requires strict adherence to Islamic boundaries, the preservation of the dignity of both parties, and the protection of children from the psychological consequences of separation, with kindness and forgiveness taking precedence over revenge.
The text is an Islamic sermon on the religious and ethical handling of divorce. It emphasizes that divorce is permissible but is the most detested of permissible things, and calls for the fear of Allah in order to find relief. The preacher sets out the Islamic legal provisions, in particular the obligation of the husband to provide maintenance to the wife during the waiting period and not to expel her from the house. A stage of escalation in marital conflict is described, ranging from admonition through distancing to non-harmful chastisement and finally to arbitration by judges. The sermon warns emphatically against harboring hatred, cursing, or intrigue during separation, as this psychologically harms the children. It calls on both parties to act with dignity, kindness, and forgiveness in order to preserve the dignity of the human being and the rights of the children. The text makes clear that a 'successful' divorce is the one that respects the dignity of both sides and protects subsequent generations from division and psychological suffering.
Koran 65:2-5 · Koran 4:34-35 · Koran 65:1-2 · Koran 2:229 · Koran 4:21 · Koran 2:233 · Koran 2:223 · Koran 2:231
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The same standards apply to every tradition, see Values.
Full text in English
Successful Divorce
First Sermon
Praise be to Allah Who unites spouses and establishes between them affection and mercy. Praise be to Allah Who fills homes with tranquility. Praise be to Allah Who legislated divorce and made it the most detestable of lawful things. And may abundant prayers and purest peace be upon our Imam, our Messenger, and our exemplar, Muhammad, upon whom be the best of prayers and the purest of peace. O believers:
"And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever places his trust in Allah, then He is sufficient for him" [Al-Talaq: 2, 3]. "And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him ease in his affairs" [Al-Talaq: 4]. "And whoever fears Allah, He will expiate for him his sins and make great his reward" [Al-Talaq: 5]. Therefore, fear Allah, O servants of Allah, so that He may make for you a relief from every distress, an exit from every worry, and a cure from every affliction. And fear Allah, O believers, so that you may succeed, and He may erase your sins and magnify and multiply your good deeds.
O believers: Marriage is a solemn covenant, whose original state is permanence, continuity, and the absence of discord, conflict, and separation. Allah, the Exalted, has legislated for us a complete methodology and specific rulings regarding divorce. Our beloved Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded to treat women well. Indeed, Muslim narrated in his Sahih that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "And treat women well, for you have taken them in trust from Allah, and you have made their private parts lawful by the word of Allah." This would not have been the case without a Sharia-compliant review and the consent of the guardian regarding this husband, deeming him righteous and a suitable match for this woman, whether in religion, character, status, or standard of living, so that their union may be lasting. The two families only intermarried due to the compatibility existing between them in most customs, traditions, and temperaments.
If a disagreement occurs between the spouses, or if the woman becomes disobedient to her husband, leaving his command, turning away from him, and hating him, then he, as her head, elder, judge, and disciplinarian if she strays, must adhere to the command of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious: "Then admonish them" [An-Nisa: 34]—with an admonition that warns her of Allah's punishment for disobedience. If she does not take heed—"And leave them in their beds" [An-Nisa: 34]—he does not have intercourse with her, nor does he speak to her or converse with her. If they do not desist through admonition or separation—"Then strike them" [An-Nisa: 34]—with a non-harmful strike that does not break a limb or cause any lasting effect. "But if they obey you, then seek not a way against them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted, Great" [An-Nisa: 34].
In the final instance, if these means do not benefit, then external intervention comes to cross the wall of the protected marital bond, safeguarded by secrets, to treat the causes of aversion and discord existing between the two parties, so that reconciliation and success may be achieved between them. Allah, the Exalted, says: "And if you fear separation between the two of them, then appoint an arbitrator from his people and an arbitrator from her people. If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause reconciliation between them. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise" [An-Nisa: 35]. Perhaps the two arbitrators decide that the interest of both spouses lies in separation and non-reconciliation. In that case, the divorce is a single pronouncement, after which she does not leave her husband's house, as many do. Rather, he provides for her and sleeps with her on the same bed, and she may adorn herself for him. They may return to each other after the first or second pronouncement during the waiting period.
Allah, the Exalted, commanded with a precise command: "Fear Allah, your Lord. Do not drive them out of their houses, nor should they go out, except in the case of clear immorality. And these are the limits of Allah. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah has certainly wronged himself. You do not know, perhaps Allah will bring about after that some other matter" [Al-Talaq: 1]. Therefore, the woman does not leave her husband's house after the first or second pronouncement except if she commits an immorality of harm through words or actions towards the man's family. In that case, she may leave. When the woman is nearing the end of her waiting period: "Then either retain them in a suitable manner or release them with kindness" [Al-Talaq: 2]. And He, the Exalted, clarified that by saying: "Divorce is twice. Then, either retain them in a suitable manner or release them with kindness" [Al-Baqarah: 229]. Thus, separation is to be done in a suitable manner, and release is to be done with kindness.
And to you, O husband, and to you, O wife, it is permitted to soar with the meanings of kindness and benevolence. For when the two spouses met, they met upon affection and mercy. Therefore, if separation occurs between them, the separation must be with kindness and benevolence. How could it not be so, when it is said: “And each of you has already taken from the other a solemn covenant” [Al-Nisa: 21]. It is not part of kindness to engage in discord, conflict, mutual recrimination, and the crafting of plots. Nor is it part of benevolence to expose faults, defects, and vices, and to forget virtues, praises, and merits, however few they may be, as Satan reveals them. Nor is it part of kindness or benevolence to incite the hearts of the children, both sons and daughters, against the other party. Just as the father is a father, so is the mother a mother. And just as both parties have done good, it is inevitable that some shortcoming, transgression, or departure from wisdom and composure has occurred on their part, and that fits of anger, self-assertion, and pre-Islamic tribalism have arisen from them. No one is free from these. For a human being is a human being who may be overcome by anger in a moment, causing him to lose his composure. The heart may blaze with fire, leading one to harm the other with the tongue out of hatred, with actions out of aversion, with behavior out of malice, and with conduct out of scheming. Therefore, it is part of kindness not to judge the opposing party based on a stance in which they transgressed, while forgetting their benevolence throughout the years and days. Just as it is part of kindness not to relinquish our rights if the other party has deprived us of them, it is part of benevolence to pardon, forgive, overlook, and move on, in order to protect the sons and daughters from what may befall them, such as personality disorders, psychological depression, nervous disorders, mental fragmentation, mental wandering, and internal anxiety. And the Most High, the Exalted, has said: “No nursing mother shall be harmed on account of her child, nor the father of the child on account of his child” [Al-Baqarah: 233]. Therefore, let there be no harm inflicted by one party upon the other, which would consequently cause harm to the children.
May Allah bless me and you with the Great Quran, and benefit me and you with what is contained therein of verses and wise remembrance. I say this and seek forgiveness from Allah, the Great, the Majestic, for myself and for you from every sin. So seek His forgiveness, for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Second Sermon
Praise be to Allah for His benevolence, and gratitude to Him for His guidance and His favors. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, in exaltation of His status. And I bear witness that our Prophet and Messenger Muhammad is the recipient of the best prayers and the purest peace.
O believers: For every woman whose husband has divorced her, and for every man whom his wife has repudiated, remember that you will meet Allah, the Most High, so fear Him. And the Most High has said: “Your wives are a tilth for you, so come to your tilth in whatever manner you wish, and do good for yourselves, and fear Allah, and know that you will meet Him. And give good tidings to the believers” [Al-Baqarah: 223].
O believers: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has said in the verses concerning divorce: “Those are the limits of Allah, so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah, it is they who are the wrongdoers” [Al-Baqarah: 229]. Therefore, if a man has divorced his wife, she must observe her waiting period in his house, and he must provide for her maintenance, including food, drink, and clothing. Let the man beware of harming her or causing her injury, for the Most High, the Exalted, has said: “And do not retain them with harm in order to transgress. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself. And do not take the verses of Allah in mockery. And remember the favor of Allah upon you and what He has revealed to you of the Book and wisdom, by which He admonishes you. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is, of all things, Knowing” [Al-Baqarah: 231].
O spouses: If divorce has been decreed by fate and divine decree, then let wisdom and rationality be the reality. Beware lest you turn reality into hell, causing the fire between you to blaze without cessation. For benevolence in releasing requires suppressing anger, respecting the other party, considering feelings, and preserving dignity, principles, and values. Mere self-assertion, whether with or without right, at the expense of the other party, and neglecting the merits that the other party may possess, however few they may be, causes pain, bleeds wounds, and its consequences are borne by subsequent generations.
O husbands: A successful divorce is one that preserves human dignity and the rights that belong to one, as well as the duties one owes. It is one in which one does not accept injustice, neither for oneself nor for others. A successful divorce is one governed by respect for the other party, their family, and their kin. A successful divorce is one that ends with the greatest gains and the least losses for both parties. A successful divorce does not cause disobedience of the children toward one party over the other; rather, each party encourages the children to be kind, dutiful, and maintain ties with the other party, and to avoid disobedience and severance.
O you who are married: The woman was a covering for her husband, and he is a covering for her. It is not of manliness, nor of chivalry, nor of loyalty that each party should expose the other’s faults to others. For she has kept you in her secret and displayed to you the best of her charms. Therefore, it is not of honor, nor of manliness, in return, to spread her defects among people. Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, among the worst of people in rank before Allah on the Day of Resurrection is the man who has intercourse with his wife and she with him, and then he spreads her secret.” And the spreading of her secret is religiously prohibited, whether she is a wife or an ex-wife. And if it is not permissible to tear off the veil of the wife, then a fortiori it is not permissible to tear off the veil of the ex-wife. By what right do you mention the faults, defects, or blemishes of one who is no longer a mahram to you!!!!
Send prayers upon the Beloved, the Chosen One, and the Prophet, the Selected One, for Allah has commanded you to do so in His Book, and He said, exalted is He who speaks wisely: “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and give peace [to him] in abundance” [Al-Ahzab: 56].
And our Beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever sends one prayer upon me, Allah will send ten prayers upon him, ten of his sins will be erased, and ten degrees will be raised for him.” Al-Nasa’i narrated it in his Sunan.
The fragrance spread when I mentioned Muhammad.