Bad friends, disobedience and rigid principles have been identified as factors responsible for the rising wave of divorce in the society.
A Lagos-based Islamic scholar, Imam Sanni Kay Yusuf, made the observation while delivering a lecture at a marital gathering organized by Mawadah Consult in collaboration with the International Foundation for Waqf Development, held in Ilorin.
Imam Kay Yusuf expressed concern over the stigmatization of divorcees, noting that some divorces are justified due to the misconduct of either spouse.
Also speaking, Dr. Muhamud Danjuma Musa of the University of Ilorin urged Muslim couples to refrain from infidelity, describing lawful intimacy as an act of worship to Allah.
Dr. Musa advised couples to be open with each other in all ramifications, stressing that shyness has no place in marriage.
Similarly, Prof. Hamdallat Yusuf of the University of Ilorin counseled Muslim husbands to avoid anger, vulgar language and disrespect toward their wives in order to sustain a peaceful home.
She urged husbands to practice polygyny with mercy and avoid actions capable of hurting their wives.
Prof. Yusuf also charged Muslim wives not to perceive polygamy as punishment, but as a spiritual act ordained by Allah.
Earlier, the convener of the gathering, Mallam Abdul-lateef Lanre Abdullahi, said the programme was designed to promote healthy marriages.
Abdullahi admonished Muslim couples to manage their marital affairs in line with Islamic jurisprudence for a lasting union.
In his remarks, the National Coordinator of the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, challenged elders and religious leaders to regularly counsel newly wedded couples to protect their marriages from disintegration.
