Gumi: Abused Muslim Women Deserve Divorce Without Paying Compensation

Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has called on Islamic judges and clerics to uphold justice by granting divorce to women facing domestic abuse without demanding any form of compensation. He stressed that Islam stands firmly against oppression in marriage and permits separation when harmony and respect have been lost.

Speaking during his weekly Tafsir session at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna, themed “How Wives in Islam Can Also Divorce Their Cruel Husbands Without Compensation,” Gumi explained that Islam grants both men and women the right to end a marriage when mutual compassion fades. Citing Al-Mukhtasar Al-Khalil, a foundational Maliki jurisprudence text, he noted that it is unjust to make women buy their freedom from abusive husbands.

The cleric lamented the double standards in society and the judiciary, where men can easily dissolve marriages while women are subjected to unnecessary hardship when seeking divorce for reasons such as abuse or neglect. “A husband can simply utter words to end a marriage, but an abused woman is often told to pay compensation to leave her tormentor — that is injustice, and Islam forbids it,” he said.

Quoting verses from the Holy Qur’an (Q4:35, Q4:19, and Q4:130), Gumi emphasised that Allah permits separation when peace is no longer attainable and that both parties deserve fair treatment. He urged Islamic judges to act with courage and fairness, insisting that when a husband mistreats or assaults his wife, he forfeits any right to compensation. “The judge must free her from misery,” he declared, adding that Allah promises to provide for both partners after separation. Gumi concluded that marriage in Islam must be rooted in kindness, mercy, and mutual respect, and when these values are absent, either spouse has the divine right to walk away with dignity.