Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/9)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

and He did not say, “O Prophet, do not divorce women.” He also says: “O you who believe, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before consummating the marriage, they have no waiting period for you to observe.” [al-Ahzab: 49] Moreover, those who divorced during the time of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, were not forbidden from doing so. Had it been prohibited, he would have prevented them; and had it been disliked, he would have questioned them further.

There is also a well-known juristic principle among the scholars: what is disliked ceases to be so when there is a need for it. This is part of Allah’s wisdom. The enemies of the Muslims used to criticize the Muslims for permitting divorce, because they do not wish a woman to be saddened. Yet this, in reality, is the very flaw; for we know with certainty that if a man keeps her while treating her with disdain, despite neither wanting nor loving her, she will suffer an unbearable degree of misery. But if he divorces her, Allah will provide for her: “If they separate, Allah will enrich each of them out of His abundance.” [al-Nisaʾ: 130]

Thus, what Islam has prescribed is wisdom and mercy as well. Otherwise, compelling a person to live with someone he does not love is among the most difficult of matters. Al-Mutanabbi said:

Among the hardships of this world for a free man
Is to see an enemy whose friendship he cannot do without.

So, among the hardships of this world is that you see someone who is your enemy, yet you must befriend him.

His statement, “when needed”: the preposition “for” may indicate causation, or it may indicate time. Thus, it may mean that divorce is permissible if one needs it, or that it is permissible at the time of need; in the latter case, it indicates time.

And it is disliked when there is no such need, .........................................

Second: his statement, “And it is disliked when there is no such need,” means when there is no need for it. Thus, when the situation is sound, divorce is disliked. We have already mentioned that Allah’s statement, “And if they resolve upon divorce…”

ولم يقل: يا أيها النبي لا تطلقوا النساء، وقال: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ فَمَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ عِدَّةٍ تَعْتَدُّونَهَا﴾ [الأحزاب: ٤٩]، ولأن الذين طلقوا في عهد الرسول ﵊ لم يكن ينهاهم عنه، ولو كان حراماً لمنعهم، ولو كان مكروهاً لاستفصل منهم، ثم عندنا قاعدة فقهية معروفة عند أهل العلم، وهي أن المكروه يزول عند الحاجة، وهذا من حكمة الله ﷿، وقد كان أعداء المسلمين يطعنون على المسلمين في جواز الطلاق؛ لأنهم ما يودون أن تحزن المرأة، مع أن هذا هو العيب حقيقة؛ لأننا نعلم علم اليقين أن الرجل إذا أمسكها على هون، وهو لا يريدها ولا يحبها، يحصل لها من التعاسة شيء لا يطاق، لكن إذا طلقها يرزقها الله ﴿وَإِنْ يَتَفَرَّقَا يُغْنِ اللَّهُ كُلاًّ مِنْ سَعَتِهِ﴾ [النساء: ١٣٠]، فكان ما جاء به الإسلام هو الحكمة، والرحمة أيضاً، وإلا فإلزام الإنسان بمعاشرة من لا يحب من أصعب الأمور حتى قال المتنبي: ومن نكد الدنيا على الحر أن يرى عدواً له ما من صداقته بُدُّ فمن نكد الدنيا أنك ترى عدواً لك، لكن لا بد أن تصادقه. وقوله: «للحاجة» اللام يحتمل أن تكون للتعليل، ويحتمل أن تكون للتوقيت، فيحتمل أن يكون المعنى يباح الطلاق إذا احتاج إليه، ويحتمل أن يكون المعنى يباح وقت الحاجة، فتكون للتوقيت. وَيُكْرَهُ لِعَدَمِهَا، ......................................... ثانياً: قوله: «ويكره لعدمها» أي: عدم الحاجة، فمع استقامة الحال يكره، وقد ذكرنا أن قوله تعالى: ﴿وَإِنْ عَزَمُوا الطَّلَاقَ