like the destruction of wealth, and because of the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "There shall be no harm and no reciprocation of harm" (5). The second [narration] is that it is permissible (mubah), due to the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "The most hateful of the permissible things to Allah is divorce." In another phrasing: "Allah has not made lawful anything more hateful to Him than divorce." Narrated by Abu Dawud (6). It is only considered hateful (7) when there is no need for it; yet the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) called it lawful. Furthermore, it is a remover of a marriage that contains benefits that are recommended, so it is [consequently] disliked. The third [type] is permissible (mubah), which is when there is a need for it due to the bad character of the woman, her poor companionship, or being harmed by her without the purpose [of marriage] being achieved. The fourth [type] is recommended (mandub), which is when the woman is negligent regarding the obligatory rights of Allah, such as prayer and the like, and he is unable to urge her [to fulfill them], or if he has a wife who is not chaste. Ahmad said: It is not appropriate for him to retain her, because that involves a deficiency in his religion, and he is not secure from her defiling his bed and attaching to him a child who is not from him. There is no harm in constraining her in this situation and tightening the situation for her so that she may redeem herself from him. Allah the Exalted said: "And do not constrain them in order to take away part of what you have given them, unless they commit a clear immorality" (9). It is possible that divorce in these two instances is obligatory. Among those that are recommended is divorce in the case of discord, and in the situation that necessitates (10) for the woman to seek khul' (divorce initiated by the wife) to remove harm from herself. As for the forbidden (mahzur), it is divorce during menstruation, or during a period of purity in which he has had intercourse with her. The scholars of all lands and all ages have reached consensus on its prohibition, and it is called the 'divorce of innovation' (talaq al-bid'ah), because the one divorcing has opposed the Sunnah and abandoned the command of Allah the Exalted and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Allah the Exalted said: "Divorce them for their waiting period" (11). And the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "If..."