Why is a man's divorce of his wife without cause detested, and a woman's request for divorce without cause forbidden?

The reference for Sharia (definition) rulings is the texts of the Quran and Sunnah (definition). The text explicitly prohibits a wife from asking her husband for a divorce without a legitimate reason, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Any woman who asks her husband for divorce without cause, the scent of Paradise will be forbidden to her." The wisdom behind this prohibition is that a woman's nature is one of tenderness and emotion, so if divorce were in her hands, she might act against her best interest. As for a husband divorcing his wife, it is disliked without need, and there is no text indicating its prohibition. There is, however, a narration from Imam Ahmad stating its prohibition.