Sex and marriage - things you didn't know about Sharia
1. Many wives Yes a man can have four wives - but only if he proves he can take care of them all equally. Tunisia outlawed polygamy on the grounds that only Muhammed could satisfy four women. In other Islamic countries the man's financial accounts are scrutinised by the courts before he's allowed to marry manay women.
2. Share and share alike A man must spend an equal number of nights with each wife, but if he marries a virgin he can spend seven consecutive nights with her after the wedding. A non-virgin gets three consecutive nights.
3. Siblings A man can't marry two women who are sisters.
4. Buying a wife Muslim marriage is not valid unless the man has paid a dower to his wife.
5. Virgins Virgins, younger women, educated women and attractive women get higher dowers. The lowest a dower can be is 3 dirhams about 40p. A wife can refuse sex if she hasn't been paid her dower.
6. Pre-Nup Islamic law does not recognise alimony so a woman can delay receiving the dower until divorce. A man can increase the amount during marriage.
7. The mother-in-law A man must provide his wife with a house away from her in-laws and his other wives, otherwise she can leave him.
8. I divorce you In Saudi Arabia a man can divorce his wife by saying "talaq, talaq, talaq". This can be done by text message, fax, telegram, in person, or over the phone. Other Muslim countries have outlawed this method and the husband must say "talaq" over three consecutive months for the marriage to be over.
9. I take it back A man can revoke the divorce up to three months after the divorce during which time he must maintain her financially.
10. It was his smile Simply by smiling at his wife a man can revoke his divorce three months after he has announced it.
11. Remarriage A finally divorced couple can't remarry each other until the woman has first married someone else, had sex with him and divorced him.
12. Sexually transmitted disease A woman can get a divorce if she proves her husband has a sexually transmitted disease that could endanger her life, elephantiasis, or insanity, or if he mistreats her or fails to fulfil his sexual duties. Women now have the right to divorce by mutual consent and the wife must return her dower.
