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Marriage and Divorce: Modern Practices
A contract and dowry are required for a marriage to be legally valid in most countries; local custom and laws set other conditions for validity. Tunisia and Turkey have outlawed polygyny; most other countries have imposed legal conditions. In most jurisdictions, men hold the right to divorce; women face legal impediments in divorce and child custody. All modern Muslim legislation permits men to marry non-Muslim women; Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men is illegal. The man is required to provide maintenance for his spouse(s) and children; married women have the right to own and dispose of private property. Temporary marriages are legal in Shii Iran. Marriage and divorce laws and practices vary greatly from place to place depending on the historical context and on social, political, and economic circumstances.
See also Family Law; Marriage and Divorce: Legal Foundations; Mutah; Polygyny
