The Way to Release if the Husband Has Leprosy

Question

A man has had leprosy (judham) for seven years. Can the woman be freed from him or not? He does impermissible things with her, but the woman is helpless: she does not have enough means to free herself from him, meet her own expenses and gain her freedom.

Answer

If because of this disease it is hard for the woman to live with him and she cannot bear it, or the husband does things with her that are haram according to the Shari‘a, then she should somehow, by entreating her husband, obtain a divorce (talaq) from him — even if it be in exchange for the mahr, that is, the wife forgoes the mahr and in return the husband gives the divorce.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.