Marital Discord

The Qur’an speaks of living with each other on a footing of love, kindness, mercy and mutual consultation between husband and wife. It also addresses those times when the atmosphere is strained. This paper examines the issue of marital discord with a deep sensitivity to the perspective of women and the need for family harmony. Criticizing an approach to the Qur’an that is misogynistic rather than emancipatory the paper moves the debate forward by introducing an alternative interpretation of the Qur’anic text dealing with the issue of marital discord and using an approach based on the higher objectives, purposes, and intents of Islamic Law (Maqasid al-Shari'ah). The explanation is fresh, firmly on the side of women’s human rights and recaptures the full Islamic spirit of human dignity.