the leasing of orchards to those who cultivate them and bring them into production, and the sale of vegetables and the like.

This is because if a man swears an oath invoking divorce that he will sever his ties of kinship, disobey his father, kill an enemy of his who is a Muslim whose life is inviolable, commit an indecency, drink wine, separate a man from his wife, or commit some other grave sin or obscenity, he faces three alternatives. Either he commits the act he swore to perform—but no Muslim would advocate this, because it entails harm in this world and the Hereafter. Nevertheless, many people—even muftis—regard his having sworn an oath invoking divorce as grounds for treating the matter more leniently and accepting his excuse.

Alternatively, he may resort to one of the aforementioned stratagems devised by certain muftis. This entails mocking Allah’s signs, attempting to deceive Him, wickedly scheming against His religion and plotting against it, weakness of reason and religion, transgressing Allah’s limits, violating His sacred prohibitions, and deviating concerning His signs—all of which are plainly evident. Even if some of our fellow jurists consider certain such practices permissible, this position involves error—although a God-fearing mujtahid who holds it may be forgiven—the corrupt nature of which is evident to anyone who reflects upon the true nature of the religion.

Alternatively, he neither resorts to a stratagem nor commits the act he swore to perform, but instead divorces his wife, as anyone who fears Allah would do if he believed that the divorce had taken effect. This results in corruption in religion and worldly life of a kind that neither Allah nor His Messenger has sanctioned.

As for the corruption of religion, the scholars unanimously agree that divorce is discouraged when relations between the spouses are sound. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) even said, “Women who seek khulʿ and those who wrench themselves away from their husbands are indeed hypocrites.” He also said, “Any woman who asks her husband