Can a woman who is married by a Sharia-compliant contract, but which is not documented in court, end her marriage due to her husband's absence for more than a year and a half without contact or financial support, knowing his whereabouts and his refusal to respond, and is it permissible to request a divorce from him over the phone?

A wife cannot terminate the marriage contract unless her husband divorces her, or she seeks khul' (divorce at the wife's instance), or by a ruling of divorce from the Sharia (definition) judge in certain cases. If a woman wishes to separate from her husband, she requests divorce or khul', and this is valid through verbal or written declaration without the need for a court. However, if the husband refuses or the wife is unable to contact him, the way forward is to present the matter to the Sharia court.