Prominent Nigerian Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has called on Islamic clerics and judges to uphold women’s rights in abusive marriages by granting them divorce without demanding any form of compensation.
During his weekly Qur’anic Tafsir at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna, Gumi addressed the topic “How Wives in Islam Can Also Divorce Their Cruel Husbands Without Compensation.” Referring to classical Maliki jurisprudence, particularly Al-Mukhtasar Al-Khalil, he said Islam does not tolerate injustice and grants both husbands and wives the right to leave a marriage when dignity, mercy, and mutual respect are lost.
He criticised what he described as double standards in many Muslim communities: “A man can divorce by merely speaking the words, yet when a woman seeks release from an abusive husband, she is made to suffer further by being asked to pay compensation. Islam does not support such injustice,” he said.
Gumi drew on Qur’anic teachings from Surah An-Nisa (4:19, 4:35, and 4:130), emphasising that Islamic law allows separation when reconciliation is no longer possible and insists that both parties be treated fairly.
He condemned increasing cases of domestic violence and criticised men who mistreat their wives but refuse to grant divorce unless compensated through khul’. “When a husband humiliates, abuses or beats his wife, he forfeits the right to request compensation. Judges must immediately dissolve such marriages. No woman should be imprisoned in suffering,” he stated.
The cleric urged Islamic judges (Qadis) to act with justice and bravery, ensuring that women are not compelled to ‘buy their freedom’ from abusive marriages. “When a woman brings her matter to court, the judge should be her protector, freeing her from oppression without delay,” he added.
Quoting Qur’an 4:130, he reminded that “if they separate, Allah will enrich both from His abundance,” and stressed that a true Islamic marriage must be grounded in kindness, mercy, and mutual respect.
