Features
Divorce in Islam
In another instance, the Prophet (PBUH) recommended arbitration and family intervention in cases of marital disputes.
“If you fear dissension between the two, send an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family. If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause it between them” (Qur’an 4:35).
This Quranic text emphasises the importance of seeking reconciliation through family and community support.
Conditions and Rules of Divorce in Islam
Islam sets forth conditions and rules to ensure that divorce is handled responsibly:
Clear Intention: The decision to divorce must be made with a clear mind and sincere intention, free from anger or impulsivity.
The Waiting Period (Iddah): After pronouncing divorce, the wife must observe an iddah period, during which the husband can take her back if both agree. The iddah period is three menstrual cycles for a non-pregnant woman or until childbirth if she is pregnant.
Revocable and Irrevocable Divorce:
Revocable Divorce (Talaq-e-Raj’i): The husband can take back his wife within the iddah period if reconciliation is achieved.
Irrevocable Divorce (Talaq-e-Ba’in): After the third talaq, the divorce is final, and reconciliation is only possible through a new marriage contract if both agree.
Respect and Dignity: Islam commands respect and fairness during divorce proceedings, ensuring that both parties maintain dignity. Allah (SWT) advises:
“And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them—perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good” (Qur’an 4:19).
This verse encourages respect, even if differences arise.
Rights to Seek Divorce by the Husband or Wife
Islam grants both spouses the right to seek divorce, although their procedures differ.
Rights of the Husband (Talaq): A husband has the right to initiate talaq, following Islamic procedures. He must observe fairness, fulfill his wife’s rights, and provide any outstanding mahr or iddah maintenance.
Rights of the Wife (Khula): A wife can seek divorce through khula, which involves returning part or all of her mahr to end the marriage. The Prophet (PBUH) permitted khula for the wife of Thabit ibn Qays (RA) when she requested separation.
“Then if you fear that they will not be able to keep [within] the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself” (Qur’an 2:229).
Reasons for a divorce by both parties
In order to divorce a wife, a husband may not necessarily have to give a reason. However, in the case of a woman, she may initiate a Khula (Separation) for three reasons; her husband’s in ability to consummate the marriage, his failure to provide for her upkeep, and if the woman was married as a child or without her consent she can repudiate her husband when she reaches puberty (Mucai-Kattambo et al. 1995). In addition a woman can apply for a khula if she persistently faces domestic violent.
Divorce Under Legal Regimes: The Mohammedan Ordinance CAP 129
In Ghana, the Mohammedan Ordinance CAP 129 regulates Islamic marriages and divorces. It provides a formal legal framework for Muslims to marry, divorce, and remarry in line with Sharia principles. This ensures that divorce proceedings, rights, and responsibilities are recognized by law, protecting both parties’ rights according to Islamic teachings.
Remedies for a Wrongful Divorce
Reconciliation: Islam encourages reconciliation if a divorce was issued hastily. The Prophet (PBUH) often advised families to mediate, promoting forgiveness and mutual understanding.
Financial and Social Support: If a husband neglects his wife’s rights upon divorce, she can claim compensation, unpaid mahr, and iddah maintenance. Islam emphasises justice and fairness for divorced women to ensure they are not left destitute.
Community Support: The Muslim community is encouraged to provide support for divorced individuals, allowing them to reintegrate with dignity and support, upholding Islamic principles of compassion.
EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN
One significant concern is the impact of divorce on children. Patel et al. (2008) in “The Harm of Talaq” note that children from broken homes face higher risks of emotional distress, academic challenges, and social instability. Parents must consider these effects when making decisions, ensuring the wellbeing of their children.
More precisely, children from broken homes are more likely to have poorer health; to do worse in madrassas and schools; less likely to attend the massajid; become hufaz and Islamic scholars; more likely to commit crime, to smoke and take drugs; to be unemployed and to die earlier than children who live with married parents. By divorcing parents have let loose a vicious cycle. Their children are more likely to repeat the cycle of unstable parenting which they had experienced and suffered (Patel et al., 2008).
In conclusion, divorce in Islam is a compassionate solution, regulated to ensure justice and respect. While it is permitted, it is only to be used as a last resort, with the utmost care and fairness. Islam emphasizes kindness, patience, and thoughtful reconciliation to resolve marital issues before resorting to divorce.
May Allah (SWT) guide us to act with wisdom and justice in our relationships and protect our families with love and mercy. Ameen.
References:
• Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2:229, 2:230, 2:231, 2:232, 2:236, 2:237), Surah An-Nisa (4:19, 4:35), Surah At-Talaq (65:4)
• Hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (2178), Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim
• Mohammedan Ordinance CAP 129
• Patel, A. A. et al., 2008), Blessings of Marriage (Harm of Talaq {Divorce), Page 278.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai – 1BN Michel Camp, Tema
This week I have a very strong desire to put on my Apostolic Cap and talk about the power available to children of God which we can utilise to generate positive outcomes, in our lives.
There is a phrase in the Bible that if Christians meditate on, can immensely transform their lives. In Matthew 28:6 there is a phrase “… as he said…” according to the King James Version.
Thus phrase forms part of a statement declared by an angel of God to two women who were disciples of Jesus who had gone to his tomb early in the morning on the third day after his death.
According to the Biblical account, the stone covering the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away and an Angel was sitting on it and he made the statement to the effect that the Jesus they are seeking is not there and that he had risen, as he said before his death.
His resurrection affirmed the authenticity and dependability of the word of Jesus and therefore the word of God.
Christianity has to do with faith in the word of God. Pastor Mensa Otabil said if we view Christianity as an inside out view, you would go inside to operate the power that is in you.
As a Christian, the spirit of God and therefore the power of God, dwells in you. Anyone who is aware of this truth, does not go around seeking to have a so called powerful person resolve his or her spiritual issues.
Most Christians who move from prophet to prophet, do not believe that the spirit of God which operates in a Pastor or Prophet, is the same spirit that dwells in him or her.
In fact , that Christian may be more ‘powerful’ than the Prophet or Pastor he is going to for prayers because he is living a holy life, which is pleasing to God, for God is no respecter of persons according to Acts 10:34-35.
God does not give out his spirit in different measures to indwell believers. The spirit of God that dwells in a new convert, is the same spirit that dwells in a Bishop or a Prophet or an Evangelist or an Elder or a Deacon.
All you need to do as a child of God is to believe in the word of God and know that it works and that according to 1 John 4:4 we, Christians, that the Spirit of God dwells in us have overcome the world and Jesus in us, is greater than the Devil who is out in the world, wrecking havoc all around.
If we realise that we have overcome the Devil and everything he controls, then we can believe and act in faith and make declarations and just as Christ declared that he will die and on the third day, he will rise from the dead and it manifested as he said, there shall be a manifestation of our declarations also.
The problem of modern day Christians is that, a lot of them, do not study and meditate on the word of God, so they do not witness the manifestation of the power of God, in their lives.
Such an experience over time, give them the impression that the spirit of God dwells in different dimensions in believers. This then leads them to seek solutions to their challenges from so called powerful men of God.
Some Pastors also fall into this misconception of the measure of the spirit of God in believers. When the size of a Pastor’s church for instance, is not increasing the way he had been praying for self-doubt sometimes begin to set in.
Especially, if he begins to compare his church with that of say a colleague from the same Bible School, then he begins to wonder if there is not a spiritual secret he is not aware of.
This is when, if care is not taken, fellow Pastors who appears to be very successful in the ministry but are using occultic powers, could sway them from the narrow path and get them trapped in the Devil’s clutches and eventually and inevitably, destroy their lives. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Introduction
You have been there. Twenty tabs open comparing laptops. A blank page for an email you’ve been “thinking about” for three days. A menu with 30 options and you leave hungry.
This is decision paralysis: the state where the volume of information, options, or perceived stakes prevents you from making a decision at all. It’s not laziness. It’s a cognitive overload response.
In a data-rich environment, it’s becoming the default mode for both individuals and organisations.
This article breaks down why it happens, how it shows up, what it costs, and how to break it.
1. What decision paralysis actually is?
Decision paralysis is a failure of the decision-making system to convert information into action. Psychologists call it ‘analysis paralysis’ or ‘choice overload.’
It has three components:
1. Cognitive overload: Working memory can hold between four to seven chunks of information at once. When you try to track 20 variables, the system freezes.
2. Anticipatory regret: You overestimate the pain of making the wrong choice. The brain avoids the emotional cost by avoiding the choice.
3. Ambiguity aversion: Humans prefer known risks over unknown ones. When outcomes are uncertain, we stall.
The result is not neutral. Not deciding is a decision. It costs time, momentum, and opportunity
2. Why it’s getting worse now
2.1 Infinite options
Amazon has 350 million products. Netflix has 6000+ titles. Dating apps have unlimited profiles. The paradox of choice: more options increase initial satisfaction but decrease final satisfaction and increase regret.
2.2 Information abundance without synthesis
You can find 50 studies on sleep. Each one has caveats, conflicting results, and different methodologies. Without a framework to integrate them, more data creates more confusion, not clarity. This connects directly to the “data-rich, wisdom-poor” problem.
2.3 Reversibility anxiety
In the digital age, most decisions feel permanent. A bad post goes viral. A bad hire is public on LinkedIn. A bad career move is visible. The fear of irreversible error makes people delay.
2.4 Algorithmic mirroring
Platforms show you what you already engage with. This creates an illusion that there’s one ‘best’ option you are missing. You keep searching, convinced the optimal choice is one more scroll away.
3. How it shows up
Personal Level
Cannot pick a career path after six months of ‘research’
Spend two hours choosing a movie and watch nothing
Delay sending an email because it ‘isn’t perfect’
3.1 Organisational level
Teams spend 80 per cent of time in meetings gathering data, 20 per cent deciding
Product teams delay launch waiting for “one more data point”
KPIs multiply but no strategic choice is made
3.2 Common cognitive tells:
Endless comparison tables
Asking for one more opinion
Reframing the problem instead of solving it
Feeling drained after thinking but not acting
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
