Marital life often goes through challenges, problems, and conflicts that can escalate to separation, divorce, and family disintegration if both parties insist on their stances and conflicts intensify without adhering to Islamic principles governing such matters.

Unfortunately, Arab countries are witnessing alarmingly high divorce rates, posing a significant challenge to Arab and Muslim families and threatening new generations with negative and catastrophic consequences that may be difficult to remedy later.

According to the divorce rate per thousand people, Libya leads with a rate of 2.5%, followed by Egypt at 2.3%, Saudi Arabia at 2.1%, Algeria at 1.6%, and Jordan also at 1.6%. From the sixth to the tenth positions are Lebanon at 1.6%, Syria at 1.3%, Kuwait at 1.3%, the UAE at 0.7%, and Qatar also at 0.7%, according to “Data Pandas,” a website specializing in global divorce rates.

However, other official data revealed that Kuwait leads the Arab world with a divorce rate of 48% of the total number of marriages, according to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Justice. Egypt ranks second in terms of divorce rate to total marriages at 40%, but it leads the Arab world in the number of divorce cases with 240 cases daily and 3 million divorced women, according to official data from the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center.

In Jordan, which ranks third, the divorce rate has risen to 37.2%, Qatar follows at 37%, the UAE and Lebanon are in fifth and sixth positions at 34%, Sudan at 30%, Iraq at 22.7%, and Saudi Arabia at 21.5%, according to “Al Jazeera Net.”

In light of this, there is an urgent need for practical and preventive measures to curb the growing divorce rates in the Arab world and to reduce its levels promptly, with the concerted efforts of all legislative, educational, social, religious, cultural, and media institutions to halt this dangerous cancer that strikes at the heart of family cohesion.

Preventive Measures to Reduce Divorce:

1. Good Spousal Selection from the Start: The selection criterion should be religion and good character, not just wealth and status, as is commonly practiced. This criterion applies to both men and women. For women, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “If there comes to you one with whose character and religious commitment you are pleased, then marry (your daughter or female relative under your care) to him, for if you do not do that there will be Fitnah in the land and widespread corruption.” For men, he said: “A woman may be married for four reasons, for her property, her rank, her beauty and her religion; so get the one who is religious and prosper.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
2. Living in Kindness and Mercy: There should be mutual kindness, compassion, and love between spouses. Allah says, “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (Ar-Rum: 21) The Prophet also warned against responding to life's annoyances with hostility, saying, “A believer must not hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics he will be pleased with another.” (Muslim) Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen said: “'Fark' means hatred and enmity; that is, a believer should not harbor enmity or hatred towards a believing woman, such as his wife. He should not harbor enmity or hatred if he sees something he dislikes in her character because a person must act justly. He should consider the treatment that the situation demands. Justice is to balance the bad qualities with the good ones, assess which one is greater and which has a more significant impact, and let the more prevalent and impactful one prevail. This is true justice.”
3.  Advising with Wisdom and Good Counsel: Advice should be repeated wisely and beautifully, clarifying the truth and explaining its sources while being patient. Time is part of the treatment, as a person                     might not accept advice the first time due to stubbornness or other reasons but may soften later.
4. Avoiding Estrangement: For a rebellious woman who refuses to obey her husband in righteousness, estrangement should occur in bed, not outside the home. Allah says, “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.” (An-Nisa: 34)
5.  Resorting to Reconciliation: Through a trusted third party of good and wise people, who can intervene to resolve the conflict, remind each party of the other's good qualities, distance them from Shaitan, and remind them of Allah. Allah says, “And if you fear dissension between the two, send an arbitrator from his people and an arbitrator from her people. If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause it between them. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Acquainted [with all things].” (An-Nisa: 35)
6. Islamic Wisdom in Limiting Divorce: Islam made divorce thrice and not once to provide an opportunity for review and reconciliation. A man can take his wife back if he divorces her once or twice as long as she is in her ‘iddah (waiting) period (three lunar months). He can divorce her while she remains in his house, perhaps reconciling and retracting. However, if he divorces her for the third time, she is no longer his wife and becomes unlawful for him until she marries another man willingly. If the latter divorces her willingly, she becomes lawful for her first husband again. Allah says, “Divorce is twice. Then, either keep [her] in an acceptable manner or release [her] with good treatment. And it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless both fear that they will not be able to keep [within] the limits of Allah. But if you fear that they will not keep [within] the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself. These are the limits of Allah, so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah - it is those who are the wrongdoers. And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him. And if the latter husband divorces her [or dies], there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep [within] the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah, which He makes clear to a people who know.” (Al-Baqarah: 229-230) Allah also says, “O Prophet, when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not turn them out of their [husbands'] houses, nor should they [themselves] leave [during that period] unless they are committing a clear immorality. And those are the limits [set by] Allah. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah has certainly wronged himself. You know not; perhaps Allah will bring about after that a [different] matter.” (At-Talaq: 1)
7. Modern Recommendations: Seeking advice from social relationship experts and family counseling, taking a marital break for a few weeks to cool off, reviewing oneself, or attending training on how to accommodate the other and address the mistakes leading to divorce. Identifying cases deserving divorce while utilizing family, community, and religious awareness programs before making the decision to dismantle the family and endanger children.

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