Definition & Legality

**Linguistic Definition:** Khul' is derived from "removing a garment" (khala'a al-thawb) - because each spouse is a garment for the other. **Technical Definition:** A separation that occurs between the spouses for a compensation that the woman pays to her husband, using specific wordings. --- **Legality of Khul':** **From the Quran:** Allah says: "And if you fear that they will not keep the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself" [Al-Baqarah: 229] **From the Sunnah:** Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه reported that the wife of Thabit ibn Qays came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Thabit ibn Qays - I do not fault him for his character or religion, but I hate to be ungrateful in Islam." The Prophet ﷺ said: "Will you return his garden to him?" She said: "Yes." So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Accept the garden and divorce her once" [Bukhari] *Note: She meant she hated to fall into ungratefulness to her husband and falling short in his rights upon her due to her intense dislike of him - not for any fault in his character or religion.*