▁most ▁serious ▁problem ▁was ▁abandon ment , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁recognized ▁as ▁grounds ▁for ▁jud icial ▁divor ce . ▁To ▁address ▁this , ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁a ▁man ▁setting ▁out ▁for ▁travel ▁would ▁leave ▁his ▁wife ▁a ▁letter ▁author izing ▁t ala q ▁if ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁return ▁within ▁a ▁specified ▁period ▁of ▁time . ▁In ▁other ▁cases , ▁H ana fi ▁jud ges ▁invited ▁a ▁Mal iki ▁or ▁Han b ali ▁colle ague ▁to ▁pron ounce ▁divor ce , ▁or ▁the ▁woman ▁herself ▁took ▁the ▁initi ative ▁to ▁seek ▁out ▁a ▁judge ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁schools . ▁The ▁same ▁approach ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁effect ▁a ▁divor ce ▁in ▁cases ▁of ▁failure ▁to ▁provide ▁maintenance . ▁In ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁B alk ans ▁a ▁woman ▁could ▁file ▁for ▁divor ce ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁her ▁husband ▁was ▁" not ▁a ▁good ▁Muslim ". ▁ ▁Since ▁mar ri ages ▁between ▁non - Mus lim ▁men ▁and ▁Muslim ▁women ▁are ▁forb idden ▁under ▁Islam ic ▁law , ▁when ▁a ▁married ▁woman ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam ▁but ▁her ▁husband ▁did ▁not , ▁the ▁marriage ▁would ▁be ▁considered ▁void ▁by ▁Muslim ▁authorities ▁and ▁the ▁woman ▁obtained ▁cust ody ▁of ▁the ▁children . ▁Se vent e enth - century ▁sources ▁indicate ▁that ▁non - Mus lim ▁women ▁throughout ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁used ▁this ▁method ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁divor ce . ▁ ▁O ath s ▁ ▁Jur is pr ud ence ▁ ▁The ▁husband ▁can ▁end ▁marriage ▁through ▁three ▁types ▁of ▁o ath s : ▁the ▁o ath