Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 240
240 agreement is serious, the matter must be referred to two mediators, one chosen by the husband from among his relatives or friends, and the other chosen by the wife from among her relatives or well-wishers. The media- tors should then look into the matter and try to discover the causes of discord, and should try to bring about a reconciliation between the couple. If this is not possible or their efforts towards reconciliation prove futile, the husband will be permitted to divorce the wife, that is to say, to announce the dissolution of the marriage. This is again subject to several conditions. For instance, the announcement must be public and not secret, and it must be repeated three times, with an interval of one month between two announcements. Before the final announcement it is open to the parties to effect a recon- ciliation and resume conjugal relations. If the wife has a grievance against the husband and she desires a divorce, she can ask for it through the magistrate just as the marriage itself was subject to the consent of her guardian or of the magistrate. If the magistrate is of opinion that her grievance is just, he will pronounce a divorce and in such a case the husband will not be entitled to recover from the wife any prop- erty which he might have settled on her. If the divorce is directed by the mediators or by the magistrate but the wife is found to be in default, she may be directed to return any portion of the property that her husband may have settled on her and which she still has in her posses- sion. Throughout the course of the proceedings and till the divorce is completed the husband is bound to main- tain the wife.