Divorcing an Uncooperative Wife

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), had a wife whom he (the Imam) liked and loved. One day he (the Imam) divorced her and he was sad about it. A certain person of his followers asked, ‘Why did you divorce her?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘I mentioned Ali (a.s.), before her and she belittled him (the Imam). I did not like touching a piece of charcoal from the charcoals of hell with my skin.'"

“I had a wife who believed (in the divine authority of ‘ A’immah ) and so also was her father, but she had very bad moral behaviors and I did not like to divorce her because of her belief and the belief of her father. I met abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), and I wanted to ask him (the Imam) if divorcing her is proper saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I need an answer to a question and I like to ask you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Come tomorrow at the time of al- Zuhr Salat (prayer). He (the narrator) has said, ‘After performing al-Zuhr Salat (prayer) I went to see him (the Imam) and I found that he (the Imam) had completed his Salat (prayer) and he was sitting. I went inside and sat in front of him (the Imam). He (the Imam) initiated speaking to me and said, ‘O Khattab, my father made me marry a daughter of my uncle and her moral behaviors were very bad. My father sometimes would close the door on both of us in the hope that I may meet her, instead of climbing the wall to run away. When my father passed away I divorced her.’ I (the narrator) then said to myself, ‘Allah is Greater than can be described, He (the Imam) has answered my question before I could even ask him (the Imam).”’

“I once went to see him, abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), and complain before him against my wife because of her bad moral behaviors. He (the Imam) initiating to speak to me said, ‘One time my father arranged for me the marriage to a woman who had very bad moral behaviors and I complained before him against her. He said, ‘What stops you from divorcing her? Allah has already given you such authority.’ I (the narrator) then said to myself, ‘You (Imam) by Allah have provided relief and a way out for me.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), once from the pulpit said: ‘Do not give in marriage to al-Hassan because he is a man who divorces very often.’ A man from Hamadan stood up and said, ‘Yes, we will give to him in marriage, by Allah, because he is the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (s.w) and the son of ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.). He may keep if he likes or divorce if he so wills.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.), divorced fifty women. Ali (a.s.), stood in al-Kufa and said, ‘O people of al-Kufa do not give in marriage to al-Hassan because he divorces very often.’ A man stood up and said, ‘Yes, we will give to him in marriage, by Allah, because he is the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (s.w) and the son of Fatima (a.s.). He may keep if he likes or divorces if he so wills.'"

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘The prayers of three kinds of people are returned to them without a favorable answer. One of such people is one who prays against his wife to whom he is unjust and it is said to him, ‘Have we not given you the authority to divorce her?”’