Hyderabad: Victim of divorce through WhatsApp revealed that she was divorced by her husband after she refused to take Khula. She is in a state of trauma. She informed that few days ago her husband tried to convince her to take Khula when she asked for reason she told that she was unable to conceive. Both had tests after which it was proved that the husband had some problem. When the wife told the husband about that he got angry and threatened to perform second marriage. The girl kept quiet thinking about family’s reputation. Then she saw the WhatsApp display she informed her parents who lodged a complaint with the Moghalpura police.
The girl also made shocking revelation that she and her co-sister were made to stay in the cellar of their in-laws’ house. Her co-sister who was divorced six months ago told that everything was fine until one day her husband Fayazuddin uttered talaq over email and phone because her father-in-law gave him wrong information that the girl had had an abortion, though she was pregnant at that time.
Both co-sisters demanded justice and arrest of the family which ruined their life.
It must be noted that Islam discourages divorce but, unlike some religions, does make provisions for divorce by either party. Allah provides general guidelines for the process of divorce with emphasis on both parties upholding the values of justice and kindness in formalizing the end to their marriage. Allah encourages the husband and wife to appoint arbitrators as the first step to aid in reconciliation in the process of divorce. If the reconciliation step fails, both the man and woman are guaranteed the right to divorce as established in the Quran. When a divorce is initiated by the man, it is known as Talaaq.
The pronouncement by the husband may be verbal or written, but once made, there is to be a waiting period of three months (‘Iddah). The waiting period helps to prevent hasty terminations due to anger and allows time for both parties to reconsider as well as to see if the wife is pregnant. If the wife is pregnant, the waiting period is lengthened until she delivers the baby. At any point during this time, the husband and wife are free to resume their conjugal relationship; thereby ending the divorce process. During this waiting period, the husband remains financially responsible for the support of his wife.
The divorce initiated by the wife is known as ‘Khula’
The controversy regarding the seeming inequity in divorce lies in the idea that men seem to have absolute power in obtaining a divorce. Allah Says (what means): {And when you divorce women and they fulfil their term [of their ‘Iddah], either keep them according to reasonable terms or release them according to reasonable terms, and do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself. And do not take the verses of Allah in jest.} [Quran 2:231]