Hyderabad: The sporting world was abuzz on Saturday with the surprising news of Shoaib Malik's remarriage, leaving both Indian and Pakistani fans stunned. Shoaib Malik took to social media to share pictures with his new wife, Sana Javed, confirming rumors of trouble in his marriage with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. While divorce speculations had circulated for months, both Shoaib and Sania had remained silent. However, on Saturday, Sania's father, Imran Mirza, confirmed that his daughter had sought a 'khula' from the cricketer.
Imran Mirza commented, “It was a ‘khula.' I do not wish to comment beyond this.” But what exactly is a Khula, and how does it differ from Talaq?
Khula is the right of a Muslim woman to unilaterally divorce her husband. It is a provision granted to women in Islam, offering them the option to seek divorce, resulting in the termination of the marriage. After the separation, the husband is responsible for providing education and financial support for the children. Generally, the children reside with their mother until they reach the age of “Hizanat” – seven years for sons and until puberty for daughters.
In the case of Talaq, it is the man in the marriage who initiates the divorce.
Shoaib and Sania tied the knot in Hyderabad in April 2010 and lived in Dubai. Although Sania never directly addressed the matter, her social media posts hinted at her mindset.
About a week ago, she wrote on Instagram, "When something disturbs the peace of your heart, let it go," alongside a picture of herself standing before a mirror with eyes closed.
She also posted another story on Instagram, stating, "Marriage is hard, Divorce is hard. Choose your hard. Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard, Choose your hard. Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard. Communication is hard. No communicating is hard. Life will never be easy. I will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely."
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