The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1494 page)

ammad himself married eleven wives. Divorce (
al
q
, ‘to set an animal free’) is permitted, but ‘of all things that are permitted, divorce is the most hated by God’. A statement of divorce should be followed by a waiting period (
idda
) of three menstrual cycles, to ensure that no child has been conceived, and to offer the chance of reconciliation.
Tal
q
asan
requires three successive pronouncements of divorce to be made, during three consecutive periods of purity (
uhur
); it is not permissible to pronounce the three repudiations all at one time. Divorce may be initiated by the wife (
khul
), but if she does so without identifiable cause, she must abandon the dowry. For the early (and disputed) temporary marriage, see
MUTA
.
Hinduism
Marriage is an expected norm for all Hindus except those who become renouncers and adopt a community or
ascetic
life. For a woman, the ritual of marriage (
viv
ha
) is in itself a route to
mok
a
. Marriages are generally a matter of arrangement between families, attempting to ensure compatibility of (obviously)
caste
, but also of such things as education and wealth. The ritual is one of the most important of the
sa
sk
ras
(rites of passage), and involves great expense, with gifts passing between the families. The details of the ritual differ from place to place, but some elements are constant. Although celebrations may last for several days, the actual ceremony is simple. It begins with the formal giving away, by the father, of the bride. Songs of blessing are then sung, followed by oblations to the sacred fire,
homa
, before which the couple are sitting. They then take seven steps (
satapadi
) round the fire, with the groom leading the bride. If evening has fallen by this time, the couple will go out to see the star Dhruva (the Pole Star), and the bride vows to be as constant as that star. The festivities then continue.
According to classic theory (e.g.
Artha
astra
), a marriage brought into being by the proper rituals cannot be dissolved. It follows that a widow should not remarry—and in a case of absolute devotion, a widow should follow her late husband into death (
sat
). Nevertheless, before death mok
a (release) is possible on various grounds (the exact grounds are debated). Defects in bride or groom (especially lack of virginity and absence of virility) are usually accepted as sufficient grounds, as may be prolonged absence, or desertion, or cruelty. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, allows divorce, but for traditional Hindus it is still, in general, unacceptable.