Are there any scriptural texts from the Quran or Sunnah that indicate the impact of marital disputes or divorce on children? Or does the verse "But if they separate, Allah will enrich each from His abundance" imply Allah’s guarantee to care for the children psychologically, intellectually, and religiously in the event of divorce?
There are no explicit texts in the Quran or regarding the impact of divorce or marital disputes on children, but its negative effect is palpable and observable. Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that divorce can corrupt the state of the spouses, and its corruption can extend to the children.
The default rule concerning divorce is prohibition and prevention due to the harms it entails. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, condemned women who seek divorce without a cause. Thus, divorce is forbidden except when there is a permissible need, such as irreparable marital discord and conflicting dispositions.
However, the impact of divorce on children does not legally prohibit it, as religious and jurisprudential texts have not made an exception for the presence of children. In fact, divorce might be better for the children if discord between the spouses becomes severe and the children are affected by continuous disputes.
Allah's saying: {But if they separate [by divorce], Allah will enrich each of them from His abundance} (Quran 4:130) means enriching each of the spouses from the other through patience and contentment, or with someone better than them, or with wealth that benefits them, and not necessarily the psychological, mental, and religious well-being of the children.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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