21.1 Gambling, alcohol and intoxicants
O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling,
(dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are
a filth,- of Satan’s handwork: avoid such (evil), that you
may prosper.
Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred
between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and
hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from
prayer: will you not then abstain?Ch 5: V93 - 94
21.2 Slander
And those who launch a charge against chaste women,
and produce not four witnesses (to support their
allegations),- flog them with eighty stripes; and reject
their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked evil
doers.Ch 24: V 4
21.3 Adultery and Fornication
Nor come near to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed)
and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).
Ch 17: V32
The woman and the man guilty of adultery or
fornication, flog each of them with a hundred stripes:
let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter
prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the
Last Day: and let a party of the believers witness their
punishment.Ch 24: V 2
21.4 Homosexuality
If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, take the
evidence of four (reliable) witnesses from amongst you
against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses
until death do claim them, or Allah appoint for them
some (other) way.
If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish
them both. If they repent and amend, leave them alone;
for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.Ch 4: V 15 - 16
21.5 Marriage
21.5.1 Purpose
It is He Who created you from a single person, and
made his mate of like nature, in order that he might
dwell with her (in love)…
Ch 7: V 189
… (Your wives) are as a garment for you and you are as a
garment for them...Ch 2: V 187
21.5.2 To whom
Marry those among you who are single, or the virtuous
ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in
poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace: for
Allah encompasses all, and He knows all things.
Ch 24: V 32
... (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste
women who are believers, but chaste women among
the People of the Book, revealed before your time,
when you give them their due dowers, taking them
in honest wedlock, not lewdness, nor as secret love-
companions, but if any one rejects faith, fruitless is his
work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of
those who have lost (all spiritual good).Ch 5: V6
21.5.3 Dowry
And give the women (on marriage) their dower as a free
gift; but if they, of their own good pleasure, give up any
part of it to you, take it and enjoy it with good cheer.Ch 4: V 4
21.5.4 No forced marriage
O you who believe! You are forbidden to force women
against their will. Nor should you treat them with
harshness, that you may take away part of the dower
you have given them,-except where they have been
guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them
on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike
to them it may be that you dislike a thing, and Allah
brings about through it a great deal of good.Ch 4: V 19
21.5.5 Contract
… and they have taken from you a solemn pledge (of
the marital contract)?Ch 4: V 21
21.5.6 Prohibitions
And marry not women whom your fathers married,-
except what is past: It was shameful and odious,- an evil
custom indeed.
Prohibited to you (for marriage) are:- your mothers,
daughters, sisters; father’s sisters, mother’s sisters;
brother’s daughters, sister’s daughters; foster-mothers
(who gave you suck), foster-sisters; your wives’ mothers;
your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of
your wives to whom you have gone in, no prohibition if
you have not gone in; (those who have been) wives of
your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters
in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is
past; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful;-
Also (prohibited are) women already married, except
those whom your right hands possess: Thus has Allah
ordained (prohibitions) against you: except for these, all
others are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage)
with gifts from your property, desiring chastity, not lust,
seeing that you derive benefit from them, give them
their dowers (at least) as prescribed; but if, after a dower
is prescribed, you agree mutually (to vary it), there is no
blame on you, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.Ch 4: V 22 - 24
21.5.7 Polygamy
If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with
the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three
or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal
justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that
is under your custody, that will be more suitable, to
prevent you from doing injustice.
Ch 4: V 3
You are never able to be fair and just as between
women, even if it is your ardent desire: but turn not
away (from a woman) altogether, so as to leave her (as
it were) hanging (in the air). If you come to a friendly
understanding, and practise self-restraint, Allah is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful.Ch 4: V129
21.6 Marital Discord & Divorce
Sometimes married couples do not get along for whatever
reason. In this case the Quran lays down a comprehensive
procedure first attempting reconciliation and failing that
an extensive and lengthy process is to be followed. So
important is this process that a chapter of the Quran is
entitled Talaq or Divorce.
21.6.1 First step: Reconciliation via arbitration
..As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty
and ill-conduct, speak to them (first), (next), refuse
to share their beds, (and last) warn them (of the
consequences); but if they return to obedience, seek not
against them means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most
High, Great (above you all).
If you fear a separation between the two of them,
appoint (two) arbiters, one from his family and the
other from hers; if they wish for peace, Allah will cause
their reconciliation: For Allah has full knowledge, and is
acquainted with all things.Ch 4: V 34 - 35
21.6.2 Initiation of Divorce
If the Reconciliation above fails and divorce proceedings are
undertaken, then Iddat (the prescribed period before the
divorce becomes effective) begins:
O Prophet! When you do divorce women, divorce them
observing their Iddat, and count (accurately), their IddatCh 65: V1
21.6.3 Iddat duration
Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for
three monthly periods.
Ch 2: V 228
Iddat duration - other circumstances
• Pregnancy: until birth of the child (Ch 65: V4)
• Women that have passed or do not have their
menstrual cycles: three months (Ch 65: V4)
• Marriage has not been consummated: no iddat
period (Ch 2: V 236)
21.6.4 Iddat conditions
The wife stays with the husband during Iddat (another
attempt at reconciliation) unless her life is threatened or
there’s a case of clear lewdness.
...And fear Allah your Lord: and turn them not out of
their houses, nor shall they (themselves) leave, except
in case they are guilty of some open lewdness, those are
limits set by Allah: and any who transgresses the limits
of Allah, does verily wrong his (own) soul: you know not
if perchance Allah will bring about thereafter some new
situation.Ch 65: V1
21.6.5 Completion of Iddat and Divorce
If after the Iddat period stated above there is no
reconciliation, divorce takes place in the presence of two
witnesses.
Thus when they fulfil their term appointed, either take
them back on equitable terms or part with them on
equitable terms; and take for witness two persons from
among you, endued with justice, and establish the
evidence (as) before Allah.
Ch 65: V2
The above process counts as one Talaaq only. Hence If the
couple wish to remarry after the Talaaq they may do so
and this may happen three times in all (i.e two talaaq=three
marriages).
21.6.6 Multiple episodes of Divorce
A divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the
parties should either hold together on equitable terms,
or separate with kindness.Ch 2: V 229
21.6.7 Women can initiate a divorce
…if you (judges) do indeed fear that they would be
unable to keep the limits ordained by Allah, there is
no blame on either of them if she give something for
her freedom. These are the limits ordained by Allah; so
do not transgress them if any do transgress the limits
ordained by Allah, such persons wrong (themselves as
well as others).
Ch 2: V229
… And women shall have rights similar to the rights
against them, according to what is equitable; but men
have a degree (of advantage) over them. And Allah is
Exalted in Power, Wise.Ch 2: V228
21.6.8 Divorce by Zihar
Zihar was an evil practice of the pre-Islamic Arabs where
they divorced their wives by simply and suddenly referring
to their wives as their mothers. The Quran put a stop to this
practice:
But those who divorce their wives by Zihar, then wish
to go back on the words they uttered, (it is ordained
that such a one) should free a slave before they touch
each other: Thus are you admonished to perform: and
Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that you do.
And if any has not (the means), he should fast for two
months consecutively before they touch each other.
But if any is unable to do so, he should feed sixty needy
ones, this, that you may show your faith in Allah and
His Messenger. Those are limits (set by) Allah. For those
who reject (Him), there is a grievous penalty.Ch 58: V3 - 4
21.7 Abortion
Kill not your children for fear of poverty: We shall
provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily
the killing of them is a great sin.Ch 17: V31
21.8 Murder
21.8.1 Pre-meditated (intentional) murder
If a man kills a believer intentionally, his reward is Hell,
to stay therein (forever): And the wrath and the curse of
Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared
for him.
Ch 4: V 93
O you who believe! The law of equality is prescribed to
you in cases of murder: the free for the free, the slave
for the slave, the woman for the woman. But if any
remission is made by the brother of the killed, then
grant any reasonable demand, and compensate him
with handsome gratitude, this is a concession and a
mercy from your Lord. After this whoever exceeds the
limits shall be in grave penalty.
In the Law of Equality there is (saving of) life to you,
O you men of understanding; that you may restrain
yourselves.Ch 2: V 178 - 179
21.8.2 Accidental murder
Never should a believer kill a believer; but (if it so
happens) by mistake, (compensation is due): if one
(so) kills a believer, it is ordained that he should
free a believing slave, and pay compensation to the
deceased’s family, unless they remit it freely. If the
deceased belonged to a people at war with you, and
he was a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (is
enough). If he belonged to a people with whom you
have treaty of mutual agreement, compensation should
be paid to his family, and a believing slave be freed. For
those who find this beyond their means, (is prescribed)
a fast for two months running: by way of repentance to
Allah: for Allah has all knowledge and all wisdom.Ch 4: V 92
21.9 Harming oneself (e.g. suicide, drugs etc)
... and make not your own hands contribute to (your)
destruction; but do good; for Allah loves those who do
good.Ch 2: V195