Renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged Islamic judges and clerics to permit Muslim women in ab*sive marriages to seek divorce without being forced to pay any compensation.
Speaking during his weekly Tafsir session at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna, Gumi delivered a lecture titled “How Wives in Islam Can Also Divorce Their Cr*el Husbands Without Compensation.”
Islam Does Not Support Oppression in Marriage
The cleric explained that Islam frowns upon any form of oppression within marriage and that both men and women have equal rights to end a union when love and respect are gone.
Citing Al-Mukhtasar Al-Khalil, a respected Maliki jurisprudence text, Gumi said all marital rulings must be guided by fairness and justice.
He expressed concern that men easily end marriages through divorce, while women face difficult conditions when trying to leave ab*sive or neglectful husbands.
“Ab*se Forfeits the Right to Compensation”
“A husband can simply utter words and end a marriage, but when a woman seeks freedom from an ab*sive man, she is told to pay compensation. That is injustice, and Islam stands against oppression,” Gumi said.
Referring to Qur’anic verses (Q4:35, Q4:19, and Q4:130), the scholar stressed that Allah allows separation when peace is lost, and both partners should be treated with fairness.
He criticised men who ab*se their wives but refuse to release them unless they pay through khul’ (compensatory divorce).
“When a husband insults, humiliates, or b*ats his wife, he forfeits the right to demand compensation. It becomes the duty of the judge to dissolve such a marriage immediately. No woman should be trapped in misery,” he added.
Call for Fairness and Protection of Women
Gumi urged Islamic judges (Qadis) to protect women from injustice and act with courage when handling such cases.
He concluded that marriage should be based on kindness, mercy, and mutual respect. When these are lost, he said, either partner should have the right to walk away honourably.