Broken Marriages in Islam and its effects on family - NikahExplorer
We all ofcourse know that no one enters marriage in the hope that it would fail. When Muslims marry they make a pledge to love each other and to live with each other forever. Though Allah has given us the complete guideline of how to lead our marriage, the harsh truth is that marriages do fail and Muslims couples do get separated and divorced as marriages break. The effect of a broken marriage on families is what should be taken the most care of.
The most immediate effect that a broken marriage has is on the children of the couple who were married. For no fault of there’s, they are pulled into a series of conversations, adjustments and decisions that they have to make and take in order to have everything running smoothly. According to the age of the children, the parents take the decision which is best for them. But do they?
Islam places importance on both the father and the mother but the mother has an edge over the father as she is the one who bore the child for 9 months and went through the tremendous pain of raising them. However, the father too has provided for the children and reared them with love and care, spent sleepless nights for them. In the eyes for the children, they love both their parents equally. So when a marriage is broken , the couple that has broken up should have respect for the feelings of the child and allow access to both their parents. If the mother takes complete control of the child and does not let the father meet him inspite of him asking again and again, then she is committing a grave sin. The dame is true if a father is withholding the children and not allowing them to meet the mother. The effects on the family when such a drastic negative step is taken is quite dangerous and it invites the wrath of Allah. So we must make sure never to take such a decision that separates the child from either his mother or father.
In-laws too, are affected by a broken marriage. The woman, who was her husband’s sister’s best friend, can’t just stop meeting her because her marriage is broken? If the woman who thought of her mother-in-law as her mother wants to keep meeting her, she must not be asked to stop. The relationship of the woman with her husband has broken , but the relationship of humanity and friendship she had with her in-laws should not be if not wanted. Same goes true for the husband. If they think they can be friends with their in-laws then by all means they should.
Lastly, the effect of a broken marriage is ofcourse felt on oneself. We must brave the storm and move on with our lives for the sake of our children, and our families and ourselves. Allah has made divorce acceptable but also the most disliked, so we must not be hasty to reach the decision of breaking our marriage, but if we do make that decision, then we must also ensure that the ones we make after that for our family and children are also well thought out. May Allah guide us. Ameen.