In Islamic law, all a man need do in order to divorce his wife is say to her, “Taaleq,” that is “(You are) divorced.” If he says it once or twice, he can take her back simply if he decides to do so. But if he says it three times, he cannot take her back until she marries another man, consummates that marriage, and is divorced in turn by her new husband.
This is all based on the Qur’an: “Divorce is twice. Then, either keep her in an acceptable manner or release her with good treatment….And if he has divorced her for the third time, then she is not lawful to him afterward until she marries a husband other than him. And if the latter husband divorces her, there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah, which He makes clear to a people who know.” (2:229-230)
Several years ago, al-Sisi called for reform in Islam in a speech that was widely publicized internationally. Many hailed it as the dawning of a genuine Islamic reformation. This, however, is the real outcome.
“Al-Azhar decision on verbal divorce came after ‘in-depth study’: senior scholar,” Egypt Independent, February 12, 2017:
The statement from Al-Azhar senior scholars on verbal divorce came after a in-depth study, said advisor to the grand imam Mohamed Abdel Salam. He denied any disagreement or clash between Al-Azhar and the presidency over the matter.
Abdel Salam added in a statement on Facebook: “Meetings over the past few days comprised scientifically profound debates among senior Egyptian scholars of different Islamic schools and jurisprudence regarding the issue of [verbal divorce]”.
Scholars, headed by Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb, unanimously agreed that verbal divorce in Islam is valid and divorce comes into effect once the husband verbally divorces his wife, without need to document it or have witnesses to the divorce, Abdel Salam said.
He accused the media of attempting to draw a rift between the president and Al-Azhar through incorrect interpretations of the former’s statements.
He also accused some media outlets of truncating parts of Al-Azhar scholars’ statement on verbal divorce, thus harming the overall meaning.
In a statement, the Council of Senior Scholars, the top body of Al-Azhar Institution, said this is what Muslims settled upon since the time of Prophet Mohamed if it meets the set conditions of divorce in Islam.
The decision comes against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s call for restrictions against verbal divorce and for a new law tightening divorce procedures for Muslims last month. He directed this request to al-Tayyeb in a speech at a ceremony marking National Police Day.
In clarifying its position, the council called upon the man who divorces his wife to document this divorce once it happens, in order to preserve the rights of the woman and the children.
The council also said, however, that the government has the right to take the necessary steps to enact legislation to ensure the imposition of deterrent punishment against those who abstain from documenting the divorce or are remiss in it.
The statement said the phenomenon of increasing divorce cases cannot be wiped out by conditioning the documenting or authentication, because the husband who belittles divorce will not be dissuaded by any conditions requiring him to stand before a Ma’azoun (public notary, marriage official) for divorce to take place.
The statement read: “the correct treatment for this phenomenon is through the care of young people and their protection from all kinds of drugs, and in educating them through different media, art, culture and general knowledge.”
Egyptian law currently grants a Muslim husband the right to divorce his wife in her absence and without her knowledge. He may initiate and conclude all the legal procedures himself, only informing her of the divorce at the final stage….

Oliver says
Al sisi is on the pay of the divorce lawyers. Sarc.
Al sisi wants. It seems. To take Egypt to the 21st century.
But like the Shah in Iran who was trying to take his nation to the 20th the religious fanatics objected
Ed Lee says
“Meetings over the past few days comprised scientifically profound debates”. Scientific, seriously? Science and religion are incompatible, as Carl Sagan pointed out in his book Cosmos in 1980. Science accepts the possibility of change, whereas religion does not.
Just A Concerned Citizen says
Similarly, a few days ago I read in the local Arabic language ragsheet in Bahrain that someone in a position of judicial power wanted some reform in the law so that a convicted rapist couldn’t escape prison simply by marrying the victim. It clearly wasn’t going over well with everyone on the panel of decision makers, so we can probably not expect any improvement in this department.
This piece of news was clearly not intended for infidel consumption, and I saw not a peep about it in the English language “ex-pat whinge sheet.”
gravenimage says
Thanks for the information–I can’t say I’m shocked.
Phil Horaia says
Yes, three strikes and you’re out. There’s a hadith in which a woman wants to get back to her first husband, but Molly Mo says that she must first have sex with the new husband, whom she hates. “it is unlawful for you to remarry Rifa`a unless `Abdur-Rahman has had sexual intercourse with you.” https://sunnah.com/bukhari/77/42. Today in Egypt, if a man wants to get back to his wife, he will often pay a man to marry her, but not to have relations with her, in order to be able to take her back. There was even a film made about it.
StacyGirl says
What a lot of hocus pocus, all to a brute’s advantage over women and girls. If this scenario is not an indictment of the irrational voodoo we know as Islam, what is?
Voytek Gagalka says
Islam and “science”? What they mean by “scientifically profound debates” is not disclosed here of course but let us be sure that it has absolutely nothing to do with any “science” as we understand that term. Religious dogma is not a “science.” What was once written in ancient texts by someone, completely bereft of scientific methods and logic, cannot be even remotely compared with science. And as far as “debates” are concerned, medieval scholastic debaters were much closer to scientific method than those contemporary Islamic monks calling themselves “imams.”
PRCS says
Dear Dr. Pepper/Voegelinian/Hesperado,
“In brief, the incoherence is laid bare by examining the latent logic: If we say, as PRCS rightly counsels, that we should stop using locutions like “radical Islam” (or worse, “radical Islamism”) and just boldly articulate our condemnation of Islam full stop — that would logically entail that we are condemning mainstream Islam, the Islam of all Muslims. How do we then avoid condemning all Muslims?”
I don’t, as not every Muslim on the planet deserves to be.
In order to effectively condemn those of Islam’s teachings which deserve that, the world’s “filthy unbelievers” need to be informed—first.
Vitriolic SJW protests in support of Muslims, and the “nothing to do with Islam” line, make ignorance of the subject clear.
So, still working on that plan to deport every Muslim?
gravenimage says
I missed it.
PRCS says
See his blog: The Hesperado.
He still reads here, and still badmouths those of us who don’t see things his way.
DFD says
Sisi is trying to play the west for suckers. If one wants to know the real Egypt and the real Sisi, just look at Egypt’s Christians, their persecution and sufferings.
Sisi, just another Muslim, and as trustworthy as any other taqyia practitioner, i.e. Muslim.
mortimer says
ABSURD hadiths and ABSURD verse in the Koran lead to the ABSURD doctrines of Islam… ABSURD because they totally CONTRADICT common sense, facts, logic and elementary principles of REASON.
90% of Islam is ABSURD. The threefold divorce declaration is one of the MOST ABSURD things in Islam, it is unfair to women and offensive to anyone with a sense of COMMON DECENCY!
Islam stinks the more I study it.
Mac-101 says
I like the decisions sayin a Muslim Man can TEXT his wife three times writing I divorcee you. He doesn’t he have to face her. If ya got a big mean old momma this may NOT be the brave thing to do, but most likely the prudent one for maintain good health. LOL!
Angemon says
Yeah, but Trump said that women let him grab them by the pussy, and THAT, not Egypt’s divorce laws that are stacked against women, is the indication of “rape culture”, “patriarchy”, etc. – at least, that’s the impression I draw from the actions of Western “feminists”…
Oliver says
Trump said that 11 or 12 years ago- in a private conversation. AND HE NEVER SAID THAT HE DID IT. HE SAID CELEBRITIES COULD.
And, I agree- the feminists are left wing nutjobs- and seem little concerned about women’s rights. And the ” glass ceiling”- well, if the Dems (or Repubs) had run a woman like Ms. Wright ( former Sec of State; independently wealthy) rather than a crook, elitist like HR Clinton, perhaps would have had a woman Pres. (And, she si black, to boot- but conservative-so that might be against her).
DFD says
About Muslim divorce practices in non Muslim societies…
Hagar the Horrible is at home, sipping his beer at the table and says to Helga, his wife: “You know, in some countries all I had to do was to say 3times: ‘I divorce thee…’”
Next frame: Hagar is sitting outside his hut on his bum, door slamming in his back, from the inside Helga shouts: “I heard thee! I heard thee! I heard thee!”
gravenimage says
Egypt: Sisi calls for restrictions on verbal divorce, al-Azhar says no
……………………..
This should surprise no one. Abusing women–including casually discarding them–is mainstream Islam.
harbidoll says
It says that a womans job is to care for her husbands things, good, house & kids. & as such she owns nothing & must leave his house with nothing! All kids over 7? are his property.
Carolyne says
I don’t think I can take any more of this sh*t today. It gets more and more bizarre and is taking over the west. Maybe tomorrow after a good night’s sleep, I can stomach some more about Islam.