Should a man who has been married for five years to a woman he does not love, and with whom he has had no children, remain married to her and marry another woman, or divorce her for fear of being unable to treat them both justly due to his lack of love for his first wife?

The default is that divorce is reprehensible, and one should not resort to it until all means of reconciliation have been exhausted. It is better not to divorce one's wife and to strive for justice between wives in terms of lodging and obligatory maintenance, not in love and intercourse. Achieving affection and harmony requires patience and overlooking faults. The Holy Quran states: ﴿And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.﴾ And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "No believing man should despise a believing woman. If he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another." Feelings of love are not a prerequisite for the stability of marital life, for Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Woe to you, were not homes built except on love? Then where is care and where is responsibility?"