The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 528
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 528 by the Holy Prophet sa for the Muslims according to Divine command. In this system, the merit of the law of marriage has always been accepted to be wise and sensible. However, it is a matter of gratitude that after centuries of stumbling, the world is now slowly and gradually coming towards the Islāmic law of divorce as well. As such, in many Christian countries, the law of divorce is being more or less introduced according to the lines proposed by Islām. However, an apprehension also exists that as per the custom of western nations, divorce may also become very common, i. e. , lest the door of freedom be opened to people beyond a middle course. On the one hand, to completely close the door of divorce, or attach such unreasonable conditions to it, that it is practically equivalent to being closed, is extremely detrimental. On the other hand, however, to open the door completely is also not without its injurious effects. Most definitely, the path of reform is the balanced one which has been prescribed in Islām. At this instance, it would not be without benefit to mention that Mr. Muir 1 has offensively taunted that according to the Islāmic law of divorce until two divorces have been issued, a husband has the right to return to his wife, but after a third divorce, the right of return only exists after a woman first marries another person and then divorces him. After this, with great audacity Mr. Muir states that it is permissible among the Muslims to employ the services of another man and marry off such a woman to a man of this nature on the condition that he shall divorce her after marriage, so that the woman may return to her actual husband. This allegation is based on prejudice of the highest degree, and if not, then remarkable ignorance. Islām does not at all teach that in order to make a woman lawful for her previous husband the deceitful strategy be employed whereby a woman is married to another man only to be later separated. On the contrary, the fact of the matter is that Islām has declared such trickery to be an extremely vile and cursed act. The Holy Prophet sa would state: ٗ لَعَن َ اللّٰه ُ الْمُحَلِّل َ وَالْمُحَلَّل َ لَه “Such a person is accursed by God who marries a woman with the intention that he shall later divorce her so that she may become lawful for her previous husband. Similarly, such a person is also accursed by God who marries his 1 The Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Chapter XVII (Divorce thrice repeated irrevocable), pp. 349-350, Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London (1878)