QUESTION: In Islam, are there any conditions that warrant divorce in the eyes of Allah?"
ANSWER: In the New Testament, Jesus taught that if one spouse commits adultery, the other spouse is allowed to divorce. And Paul taught that if an unbelieving spouse abandons a believing spouse, the believer is "not under bondage."
However, under Islamic law, the penalty for adultery is death by stoning. The death of the adulterer or adulteress frees the innocent spouse to remarry. So the Christian teaching -- allowing divorce in case of adultery -- is somewhat moot in the Islamic community.
As far as I know, the Quran does not provide a specific list of what does and does not justify divorce. Divorce is allowed, it seems, at the prerogative of either the husband or the wife, though it should not be declared rashly. If a Muslim man and his wife are having problems, their family should get involved to try to work things out (4:35).
The Quran allows (in previously-commented-upon passages) a man to divorce his wife, and remarry her, and divorce his wife again, and remarry her, and divorce his wife yet again, but the third divorce is final: after that, she must be married to someone else, and the new husband must divorce her, before the original husband can marry her again.
On one occasion, one of Muhammad's "revelations" consisted of a message to two of his wives -- 'Aisha and Hafsah, who were upset with another of his wives about something -- that Muhammad just might divorce them and give him new, more submissive, obedient wives. This is in 66:5. It seems clear from Muhammad's example that a Muslim husband has the right to divorce his wife, or wives, for a wide variety of reasons.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
ANSWER: In the New Testament, Jesus taught that if one spouse commits adultery, the other spouse is allowed to divorce. And Paul taught that if an unbelieving spouse abandons a believing spouse, the believer is "not under bondage."
However, under Islamic law, the penalty for adultery is death by stoning. The death of the adulterer or adulteress frees the innocent spouse to remarry. So the Christian teaching -- allowing divorce in case of adultery -- is somewhat moot in the Islamic community.
As far as I know, the Quran does not provide a specific list of what does and does not justify divorce. Divorce is allowed, it seems, at the prerogative of either the husband or the wife, though it should not be declared rashly. If a Muslim man and his wife are having problems, their family should get involved to try to work things out (4:35).
The Quran allows (in previously-commented-upon passages) a man to divorce his wife, and remarry her, and divorce his wife again, and remarry her, and divorce his wife yet again, but the third divorce is final: after that, she must be married to someone else, and the new husband must divorce her, before the original husband can marry her again.
On one occasion, one of Muhammad's "revelations" consisted of a message to two of his wives -- 'Aisha and Hafsah, who were upset with another of his wives about something -- that Muhammad just might divorce them and give him new, more submissive, obedient wives. This is in 66:5. It seems clear from Muhammad's example that a Muslim husband has the right to divorce his wife, or wives, for a wide variety of reasons.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
