Khul' : between past and present

This thesis investigates past and present understandings and applications of khul', synthesizing existing scholarship on the subject as well as H&dotbelow;anafi juristic doctrines. As khul' is part of a larger concept, namely, divorce initiated or approved by women, attention will also be given to the other options that Islamic law---or, on some points, cultural practices---grants women in order to obtain release from the marital bond. A comparative analysis between the application of marriage and divorce laws under the Ottomans and in contemporary Egypt will then be conducted with a view to shedding light on the effect that the rise of the nation-state has had on gender inequality