Database: Marriage and Divorce

Model of House with Festive Scene / 12th-13th century, Iran

Most weddings were about the union of two families as much as the union of two individuals. Women could not legally give themselves away in marriage and needed the approval of a male relative. Their prospective husband, who could have briefly met her in the street or in a family-supervised environment, needed to show his reliability by offering a dowry that his future wife would legally own and administer. Once permission was given, a party was organized by the bride's family. The festive scene represented in this ceramic house may well be such an occasion.

Some interpretations of religious law permitted men to have as many as four wives at the same time. As husbands were required to offer equal attention and resources to each of their spouses, and in some legal schools to obtain their current spouse(s)' permission to marry again, the number of polygamous relationships was actually quite low outside of elite society.

Divorce was a normalized feature of Abbasid society. Quranic verses and religious law framed divorce as a right both spouses could claim, though the husband needed only to say it while the wife had to act through her male relatives. Any motive could be provided and a separation could happen even if the couple had children. In that case, though, they would remain with their mother until they reached a more mature age, at which point they could go live with their father.