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However antiquated it may appear to us today, the right of divorce granted by the 'Qur'an' was also a great step forward in relation to the state of affairs found by Muhammad. The woman was no longer prey to man's despotism but attained a secure legal position. Limits were imposed on the male's power, his right of repudiation was checked, his responsibilities to support the woman he had divorced were stipulated and the right of divorce by means of legal action was introduced for women. Like Moses, Muhammad too, taking into consideration the "hard-heartedness" of men, allowed divorce in the form of a one-sided repudiation. But on the other hand, according to the Islamic concept, divorce is heinous to God. As Muhammad once said, of all that is legally permitted, divorce is the institution God abhors most. (169:1) One cannot deny that to a certain extent the legal practice led to grave abuses as they tightened up the laws on divorce in favour of the man by means of an exegesis which was often inclined to split hairs. On the whole, divorce is looked upon as a necessary evil which should be avoided as for as possible. Besides it is a fact that in Islamic countries divorce is less frequent than in European states or in the U.S.A.
(169:2)
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