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However. before Islam, Arabs did not treat their wives fairly, most of thetime, they used to favour one over the other which aroused jealousy in the hearts of wives. As a result of such jealousy, also each wife tried every possible way. to get. the love of her husband. including sorcery, incantation and other-superstitions 2 which were prohibited by Islam. However, polygamy was restricted in Islam to four wives only, and as a result. of this restriction, husbands who had previously had a large number of wives were forced to divorce some of them., For example, GhilZi bin Salamah al-Tha, fi, had married ten wives -during paganism. but when he converted to Islam the Prophet ordered him, to divorce some of his wives, keeping only four of his. as decreed by Islam. Divorce in Pre-Islamic Arabia Divorce existed in Arab society before Islam. Divorce in Jahiliyyah entailed the husband renouncing his rights to his wife, upon which they separated, The man had the right to divorce whenever he liked without any restrictions or conditions. Grounds for divorce which were to them important and understandable, may seem trivial. to us. Among such reasons were the lack of harmony between their dispositions, the woman's refusal to accommodate herself to the husband's temper and disposition, her rejection of control, and her being disrespectful to her husband. In such case, the man used to divorce with a view to punishing his wife. An example is that of C Amr Bin Shas who had a black son from a'bondmaid who was called 1. al-#-ufr. ' op. cito, P. 239 2. Ibid 35
ArZý; The wife of Shai used to disregard his son. and because of that. he threatened her with divorce. 1 Another reason for divorce was the woman's giving birth to girls only. However, there was divided opinion on this. It was reported that when Pbu Nukhail divorced his wife. who was from his own tribe, for bearing a daughter. his people blamed him for what he did so he returned to his wife. 2A further reason for divorce was poverty. For example. when Bunaih al-HaJZ'j al-Sahm! "became poor. he divorced his two wives 3 Some men used to divorce their wives if they had any suspicion of their unchastity. An example of that is made very clear by the story of Hind BinteUtha. "We-are told that she was married to al-Fakih of the tribe of Quraysh, ý and that he dismissed her to her home after catching sight of a man in suspicious circumstances near her tent. When she arrived at her father's house, he urged her to tell the truth. 'If the accusation is a true one' he said, 'I will set someone on to kill al-Fakih and prevent people from talking about you. If it is false, I will have him arraigned before one of his kahins (soothsayers) of Yemen. " The social and the economic condition in Pre-Islamic society had the greatest effect as regards the occurrence of divorce. Divorce was a very simple action which a man undertook against his, sometimes wifejin order to take revenge either on her or on her own people. Sometimes. this was because of reasons which had nothing to do with the marriage itself. Also, poverty, and prejudice were! important reasons for the occurrence of divorce; what sin had a woman committed le Ibid. P%'262 2. Abu al-Farj al-Asbtranr*. al-Ag Vol, 23s P. 8129 3. Al-frufr, op. cit:, P. 263 4. - Levi, op. cit., P. 206 36
- Page 1 and 2: THE CHANGING POSITION OF WOMEN IN A
- Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to exp
- Page 5 and 6: INTRODUCTION The Islamic and Arabic
- Page 7 and 8: The status of women in Islamic and
- Page 9 and 10: civilization or of both combined. S
- Page 11 and 12: funcultivatable valley', although i
- Page 13 and 14: 2) The second source of support was
- Page 15 and 16: and would not take them captive, be
- Page 17 and 18: fight Muslims; not satisfied with t
- Page 19 and 20: From the Qurlan, we know that she w
- Page 21 and 22: would not marry at all unless she h
- Page 23 and 24: unequal match. "If you can't find a
- Page 25 and 26: ut also among the Hebrews and Arame
- Page 27 and 28: that The fact is/ this marriage doe
- Page 29 and 30: elated to the economic and social c
- Page 31 and 32: However. Islam forbade this kind of
- Page 33 and 34: How was the wife treated Most of th
- Page 35 and 36: 49 Another example is the Zainah ma
- Page 37: 'Excepýi for rare cases in countri
- Page 41 and 42: A man could divorce his wife. remar
- Page 43 and 44: women as the Qurlan says: For those
- Page 45 and 46: divorce. the man takes compensation
- Page 47 and 48: The Woman's Inheritance in Pre-Isla
- Page 49 and 50: among his children. giving to a mal
- Page 51 and 52: asking him to bring his mother, Lay
- Page 53 and 54: Burying Daughters Alive In Pre-Isla
- Page 55 and 56: 2. The second motive was the fear t
- Page 57 and 58: "But infanticide was not a new thin
- Page 59 and 60: Or was it at any' specific age ? Th
- Page 61 and 62: some mothers must have felt that it
- Page 63 and 64: So it is not surprising that the tw
- Page 65 and 66: 0 The Qurlan caýe prohibiting this
- Page 67 and 68: CHAPTER TWO In the previous chapter
- Page 69 and 70: Ia I "As to the thief. male or fema
- Page 71 and 72: to defend the tribe or bring in boo
- Page 73 and 74: For the majority of Arab men, this
- Page 75 and 76: the Islamic system for sharing out
- Page 77 and 78: Marriage in Islam The family is the
- Page 79 and 80: A tradition reported that. "when a
- Page 81 and 82: I. The first kind includes those wo
- Page 83 and 84: 2. Also. Islam has forbidden a man'
- Page 85 and 86: However. a man can get married to a
- Page 87 and 88: I c Ati"said, No. ýnless she is wi
ArZý; The wife <strong>of</strong> Shai used to disregard his son. and because <strong>of</strong><br />
that. he threatened her with divorce.<br />
1 Another reason for divorce<br />
was the woman's giving birth to girls only. However, there was<br />
divided opinion on this. It was reported that when Pbu Nukhail<br />
divorced his wife. who was from his own tribe, for bearing a<br />
daughter. his people blamed him for what he did so he returned to<br />
his wife.<br />
2A<br />
further reason for divorce was poverty. For example.<br />
when Bunaih al-HaJZ'j al-Sahm! "became poor. he divorced his two wives 3<br />
Some men used to divorce their wives if they had any suspicion<br />
<strong>of</strong> their unchastity. An example <strong>of</strong> that is made very clear by the<br />
story <strong>of</strong> Hind BinteUtha. "We-are told that she was married to al-Fakih<br />
<strong>of</strong> the tribe <strong>of</strong> Quraysh, ý and that he dismissed her to her home after<br />
catching sight <strong>of</strong> a man in suspicious circumstances near her tent.<br />
When she arrived at her father's house, he urged her to tell the<br />
truth. 'If the accusation is a true one' he said, 'I will set someone<br />
on to kill al-Fakih and prevent people from talking about you. If it<br />
is false, I will have him arraigned before one <strong>of</strong> his kahins<br />
(soothsayers) <strong>of</strong> Yemen. "<br />
The social and the economic condition in Pre-Islamic society<br />
had the greatest effect as regards the occurrence <strong>of</strong> divorce.<br />
Divorce was a very simple action which a man undertook against his,<br />
sometimes<br />
wifejin order to take revenge either on her or on her own people.<br />
Sometimes. this was because <strong>of</strong> reasons which had nothing to do<br />
with the marriage itself. Also, poverty, and prejudice were! important<br />
reasons for the occurrence <strong>of</strong> divorce; what sin had a woman committed<br />
le Ibid. P%'262<br />
2. Abu al-Farj al-Asbtranr*. al-Ag Vol, 23s P. 8129<br />
3. Al-frufr, op. cit:, P. 263<br />
4. - Levi, op. cit., P. 206<br />
36
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