This essay examines khulʿ divorce as it is interpreted, understood, and practiced in India by Sunni Hanafi Muslims. My research was part of a broadly focused investigation of the impact of India’s Muslim Personal Law upon women’s well-being, begun in 1998 and on-going. I draw upon ethnographic and archival data collected between 1998 and 2001, as well as a recent review of the relevant case law. Widespread stereotypes represent Indian Muslim women as powerless to free themselves from unhappy marriages. However, they do have several legal options. One is to offer the husband a consideration for granting an extra-judicial divorce by khulʿ. This has distinct advantages over filing for divorce in a court of law. But its downside is that the husband must agree to release his wife from the marriage. Many refuse, others drive hard bargains or create other difficulties for the wife that are discussed in the essay.

本文考察了逊尼派·哈纳菲穆斯林在印度对khulʿ离婚的解释，理解和实践。我的研究是1998年开始并持续进行的，针对印度《穆斯林个人法》对妇女福祉影响的广泛调查的一部分。我借鉴了1998年至2001年收集的人种学和档案数据，以及对相关判例法的最新评论。普遍的陈规定型观念使印度穆斯林妇女无力摆脱不幸福的婚姻。但是，它们确实有几种法律选择。一种是让丈夫考虑给予库尔勒准予法外离婚。与在法院申请离婚相比，这具有明显的优势。但是其不利之处在于，丈夫必须同意从婚姻中释放其妻子。许多人拒绝，另一些人讨价还价，或者给妻子造成了其他困难，这在本文中将进行讨论。