Reprinted with permission of Sisters Magazine

Both men and women can place stipulations in the marriage contract. Conditions are valid if the restrictions can be observed. Failure to observe contract conditions is grounds for divorce without penalty on the wife's mahr. Neither a husband nor a wife may retract a gift given.

The husband will continuously hire a maid to help the wife. If he cannot afford this, the husband and wife will equally share household duties.

The husband will not require the wife to move out of her home town.

If the husband concludes a marriage contract with another woman, the husband transfers to the current wife the right of divorce without recourse to the judge. (The right to divorce may also be reserved without this condition.)

Husband and wife agree each may pursue formal studies in any chosen field for as long as they like.

The wife will not become pregnant and the husband will not insist on this until he/she completes high school (or college, or MA, or PhD, etc.)

The wife will bring all twenty of her cats to live in her husband's house.

The husband must learn to speak and read Arabic fluently.

The wife reserves the right to work outside the home and to keep all money made.

The husband reserves the right to approve of any workplace the wife might choose before she accepts a job.

The wife reserves the right to come and go in her home without needing permission from her husband.

There will be no community property upon divorce. (Some states require this.)

The husband will share home management, child care, child rearing, and cleaning, whether or not the wife works outside the home.

The wife may visit her parents whenever she likes.

Both wife and husband agree to discuss all issues that arise in their marriage and arrive at mutually agreeable conclusions. Differences of opinion concerning a point of Islamic practice will be referred to the Qur'an and Hadith. Both will admit if they are simply expressing a personal opinions, which will not be binding.

Under no circumstances will either of us interpret the Qur'anic ayat to mean the husband can physically hurt his wife whether with his hand or any object. We both commit to peaceful relations with each other and we pledge to avoid insults, curses, recriminations, and any means of annoyance to the other.

Children will be verbally disciplined and never beaten.