subject: Islamic Civil Law: Marriage and divorce [print this page] Islamic Civil Law: Marriage and divorce Islamic Civil Law: Marriage and divorce
Marriage and divorce in Islam are precisely prescribed.
Marriage is prescribed to only one person:male and female.
It ought to be mentioned that at the time of Islam, some fourteen centuries ago, bigamy and polygamy were practiced.
The pre-Islamic society was a society of idolatry where every kind of un-Islamic practice was performed.
Wars lasted for one hundred and twenty years between conflicting results over horse racing for example (the war of Dahis and al-Ghabra') looting, theft and crime were practiced with due tribal punishment.
This state of society was known as the Epoch of Ignorance where man is in a state of ignorance (al-jahiliyya) about his origin, the purpose of his being and the finality of his being.
This state of ignorance (al-jahiliyya) is contrasted to the state of knowledge (al-ilm) which is provided by Islam, where man knows his origin, being created by God, he knows the purpose
of his being as preparation for an eternal existence after death and resurrection, and being rewarded or punished according to his deeds during his life.
He becomes aware of the reason of his existence. He becomes as well aware of the goal of his worldly being and the final abode.
Mans' free and wilful choice of belief, or disbelief, good actions or bad ones, decide for him his destiny in this world as well as in the hereafter. This is the state of knowledge in Islam.
The Qur'an was revealed, according to Islamic belief, during twenty two years from 610 to 632 AD.
Moving from a society of conflict and war into a community of devoted believers necessitated a certain time and a great effort to abandon a state of ignorance.
This change necessitated a gradual shift where the good side struggled against the evil side and belief in one God replaced other belief systems.
For this reason was revealed gradually to uproot the state of ignorance and establish ilm, from a disbeliever, idolater, associater and hypocrite to Islam (Islam) and finally to Iman (belief).
The Qur'an makes difference between Islam and belief:
The wandering (nomad) Arabs say: "We believe", Say (unto them, O Muhammad): "You do not believe, but rather say: "We are Muslims", for faith has not entered into your hearts.' 49: 14
In this above reference clear distinction is made between Islam and belief and they ought not to be confused with one another. Confession of Islam does not denote belief.
