*Q. Where will the wife go after divorce if she has no house of her own? *
A. During Iddah, the divorced wife will stay in the husband’s house and her normal expenses are to be given by the husband. There should be no injustice from the husband’s side. A divorced woman is not oppressed in Islam, as some opponents allege. She receives her amount of dower (Mehr) and maintenance. All that she brought with herself and the gifts and what was given to her by the husband and relatives belong to her. The things she bought and spent in the house from her own money also will be returned to her. Hence, it is not correct to say that Muslim women are made to suffer after a divorce.
*Q. Will the woman be deprived of her children after divorce? *
A. A woman’s relationship with her children are not severed by divorce. The male child upto two years of age will remain with the mother and the female child till she completes 7 years of age. Their maintenance will be borne by the husband. Later, they will return to the father and the mother will have the right to visit them periodically, as per mutual agreement.
*Q. Would the presents and gifts given to the bride by the bridegroom’s family become the property of the bride or would have to be returned in case of a divorce? *
A. The gifts, etc. given by the bridegroom, his relatives and friends at the time or after the marriage becomes the property of the bride. All those tings cannot be taken back from the bride.
*Q. Can the things given by the bride’s father be taken by her after a divorce? *
A. The things given by the father to his daughter in the form of jewellery, clothes, utensils, etc. remains with his daughter’s husband as ‘Amaanat’ (i.e. an article for safe-keeping). It is the property of the wife, which, Allah forbid, in the case of divorce, will have to be returned to the wife.
*Q. Is it permissible to marry the woman with the man, who had sexual relationship with her earlier? *
A. If the woman was unmarried, the man can marry her later and if the women was married, the man can never marry her even after she is widowed or divorced. In both cases, it is a grave sin and Islam strictly forbids men and women from having sexual relationships before marriage.
*Q. It has become a custom for newly-wedded Muslim couples to spend the first night in a hotel-room. Would it be permissible if liquor is being sold on its premises? *
A If liquor is served on an adjoining table, it would be ‘haram’ to eat food in that room. But if one’s room is separate, they themselves don’t drink liquor and their going to that hotel does not amount to supporting it by their patronage, it would be permissible for them to stay in such a hotel.
*Q. Some Muslims remain unmarried because they cannot marry the girl they love. Is it correct to do so? *
A. It is not at all desirable. Most often, what they call love is the vile of Satan behind them. Devoid of sanity, they follow their desire and sometimes commit un-Islamic acts. A sane person would select a religious, modest and cultured girl. The love which develops after a marriage is stronger than the bonds of lust and desire. 80% of these so-called love-marriages fail miserably, ending in disputes and hatred.
