It's Iimi! Bad Day at Talaq Mosque

 It’s a day that Kismetta had hoped would never come. But here it is. Her parents have come to the Masjid Ur Rahman to formally divorce under Islamic laws. Kismetta, with Paula and Krysta at her side for support, watch and pray. Meanwhile, as Iimi waits outside (not wanting to be a lightning rod for hostility), she wonders: Can anything prevent this? Or will it be a… Bad Day at Talaq Mosque

Pre-Comic Notes:

The title is a (admittedly tenuous) parody of Bad Day at Black Rock, a decent 1955 movie starring Spencer Tracy.

 

Post-Comic Notes:

There are no standardized spellings for the Arabic terms used in this comic. That’s because there is no official transliteration between Arabic and English. That’s why we see Muhammad vs. Mohammed or Quran vs. Koran. I have tried to use the transliteration I’ve seen most frequently during my research, trying to respect convention. So, if you see something spelled differently than you are used to (for example, the Talaq e Ahsan is spelled Talaq e Hasan in some places), that is why.

…well, that and sometimes I accidentally transpose letters when I type. Just ask Kismetta Dzumhur and Wafiqah (the original spellings of their names before I transposed letters so often that it was easier to make the transposition canon).

The reactions of the Muslim characters are meant to show an assortment of views on what is going on. I’ve mentioned before that many Muslims find the triple talaq unjust. While in countries where Islamic divorce counts as a civil divorce, this is sometimes banned. But in America, where civil and religious divorce is separate, it can be done if it fits the participants' traditions.

Imam Kouri did not want to be a part of this but saw no way out of it. When Iimi asked, he decided to look at it from the perspective of what impression it would give.

As for the Talaq e Ahsan, some information seems to conflict, though that may be because I am looking at it from an outsider's point of view. Some accounts say the husband must say it once each month (I’m informed it’s tied to the wife’s menstrual cycle. If she has three periods, she’s obviously not pregnant). Other accounts say he only needs to say it once and wait three months.

I figured whichever one I chose for the comic would be wrong. So, I tried to make it vague. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯