▁family , ▁was ▁transformed ▁into ▁a ▁d ower , ▁which ▁became ▁property ▁of ▁the ▁wife , ▁though ▁some ▁sch ol ars ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁giving ▁at ▁least ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ma hr ▁to ▁the ▁b ride ▁began ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁Islam . ▁ ▁The ▁subject ▁of ▁divor ce ▁is ▁addressed ▁in ▁four ▁different ▁sur ah s ▁of ▁the ▁Q ur an , ▁including ▁the ▁general ▁principle ▁art ic ulated ▁in ▁ 2 : 2 3 1 : ▁ ▁Class ical ▁sh aria ▁ ▁Leg al ▁context ▁ ▁Class ical ▁Islam ic ▁law ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁script ural ▁sources ▁of ▁Islam ▁( Q ur an ▁and ▁had ith ) ▁using ▁various ▁method ologies ▁developed ▁by ▁different ▁legal ▁schools . ▁It ▁was ▁histor ically ▁interpreted ▁by ▁jur ists ▁( mu ft is ) ▁who ▁were ▁expected ▁to ▁give ▁a ▁legal ▁opinion ▁( f at wa ) ▁free ▁of ▁charge ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁any ▁query . ▁Family ▁disput es ▁were ▁handled ▁in ▁sh aria ▁courts ▁pres ided ▁over ▁by ▁a ▁judge ▁( q adi ) ▁who ▁had ▁enough ▁legal ▁education ▁to ▁decide ▁some ▁legal ▁questions ▁and ▁quer ied ▁a ▁mu ft i ▁if ▁faced ▁with ▁a ▁difficult ▁legal ▁issue . ▁The ▁jud ges ▁were ▁active ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁community ▁and ▁were ▁also ▁involved ▁in ▁inform al ▁arbitr ation , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁preferred ▁method ▁of ▁resol ving ▁disput es . ▁In ▁court ▁proceed ings , ▁they ▁medi ated ▁between ▁the ▁letter ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁and ▁ex ig ences ▁of