Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said—as in "Majmu' Al-Fatawa" (vol. 32, p. 293): "The original ruling on divorce is prohibition; it

The Fourth Aspect: What Al-Bazzar (no. 3066) and At-Tabarani in "Al-Awsat" (no. 7848) narrated from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Do not divorce women without a valid reason, for Allah Almighty does not like those who 'taste' frequently (i.e., men who frequently marry and divorce) nor those who 'taste' frequently (women who do the same)." Its chain of transmission has weakness, but it has other chains that may elevate it to a 'hasan' (good) level due to external corroboration. The author of "Tanbih Al-Qari ila Taqwiyat ma Da'afahu Al-Albani" (p. 67-68), after mentioning the chains of this hadith quoted from "Ghayat Al-Maram" (p. 159-162), said: "Regarding its weakness, there is consideration; rather, it is hasan due to external corroboration. For hasan, as At-Tirmidhi said, is that which has multiple chains and contains no accused (liar) nor anomalous (shadh) narrator. This mentioned hadith is like that: its chains are multiple, and among its narrators there is no accused nor anomalous narrator; thus it is hasan. And Allah knows best." End quote. The Fifth Aspect: It is not permissible for a woman to seek divorce without reason or excuse. Ahmad (no. 22440), Abu Dawood (no. 2226), At-Tirmidhi (no. 1187), and Ibn Majah (no. 2055) narrated from Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Any woman who asks her husband for a divorce without a valid reason, the fragrance of Paradise is forbidden to her." This is an authentic hadith. At-Tirmidhi graded it hasan, and Ibn Hibban (no. 4184) and Al-Hakim (no. 2809) authenticated it, with Adh-Dhahabi agreeing. Al-Albani also authenticated it in "Al-Irwa'" (no. 2035) and in "Sahih Abi Dawood" (no. 1928). Ahmad (no. 9358) and An-Nasa'i (no. 3461) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Women who seek khul' (divorce initiated by the wife) without valid reason and women who snatch away (their husbands' wealth) are the hypocritical women." Al-Albani mentioned it in "As-Sahihah" (no. 632). These two hadiths indicate the prohibition of khul' (divorce initiated by the wife) without need. By analogy, divorcing (by the husband) without a valid reason is also prohibited, due to the same underlying reason—namely, wasting the legitimate objectives of marriage. Allah Almighty said: "And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness" [Surah Al-Baqarah: 228]. The Sixth Aspect: It is not an act of gratitude toward the wife, her relatives in general, and especially her guardians who arranged the marriage. Divorcing her without reason is not showing them gratitude. Allah Almighty said: "And do not forget graciousness between you" [Surah Al-Baqarah: 237]. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever is not grateful to people is not grateful to Allah." Narrated by Ahmad (nos. 7504, 7939, 8019, 9034, 9944, 10377), Abu Dawood (no. 4811), and At-Tirmidhi (no. 1954), authenticated by Ibn Hibban (no. 3407), Al-Albani in "As-Sahihah" (no. 416), and Al-Wadi'i in "As-Sahih Al-Musnad mimma laysa fi As-Sahihayn" (no. 1328). They both said it is upon the condition of Muslim. The Seventh Aspect: Divorcing a woman without reason abandons the Prophet's (peace be upon him) advice concerning women and fails to act upon it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Be good to women, for a woman was created from a rib, and the most curved part of the rib is its top. If you try to straighten it, you will break it, and if you leave it, it remains curved. So be good to women." Agreed upon (from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah).