Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik Divorce: Father Reveals Separation Citing ‘Open Practice

Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik Confirm Divorce

Former tennis star Sania Mirza and her Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik have officially confirmed their divorce. Sania’s father, Imran Mirza, confirmed the news on Sunday, stating that, in accordance with the ‘open practice’ of Islam, Sania has separated from her husband.

Imran Mirza mentioned that Sania has always kept her personal life private, but it has become necessary to share that she and Shoaib got divorced a few months ago. He extended his best wishes to Shoaib for his new journey. The separation marks the end of the much-followed relationship between the sports icons, attracting interest from fans in both countries.

Sania Mirza, addressing the challenging nature of divorce, shared on her Instagram account, ‘Divorce is hard.’ In a thoughtful message, she expressed that both marriage and divorce come with their own difficulties, and life is inherently challenging. Despite the hardships, she emphasized the power of choice in navigating life’s complexities.

Shoaib Malik Announces Second Marriage

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, aged 41, revealed his second marriage with actress Sana Javed just a day ago. He shared this news by posting a photo with Sana on Saturday. Shoaib’s first marriage was with Ayesha Siddiqui, and following their divorce, he married former Indian tennis player Sania Mirza in 2010.

Understanding ‘khula’ and Sania Mirza’s separation:

Women in the Muslim community possess the right to divorce, and Islam permits a woman to initiate divorce at her discretion. According to Maulana Mohammad Hamid Nomani, ‘khula’ in Islam refers to a woman’s right to divorce, allowing her to separate from her husband based on her choice.

Understanding Islamic Forms of Divorce

Let’s delve into the meanings of three forms of divorce in Islam:

1. Khula: Maulana Nomani explains that Khula signifies separation. If maintaining the relationship between the husband and the wife becomes challenging, the wife can propose separation. It involves a collaborative divorce process where the wife convinces the husband to agree to Khula in exchange for her dowry.
2. Faskh: If the husband refuses to grant a divorce for any reason and engages in mistreatment, the Qazi (Islamic judge) holds the authority to annul their marriage. Faskh allows the termination of the marriage under such circumstances, empowering the Qazi to act when necessary.
3. Talaq-e-Tafweez: This is a provision in Sharia law where the wife is granted the right to initiate divorce during the marriage itself. It is specified in the Nikahnama (marriage contract), and if the wife feels discontent in the marriage, she can exercise this right to obtain a divorce.
   

Grounds for Initiating Khula in a Nikah Relationship

Within a Nikah (Islamic marriage) relationship, a wife has the right to initiate legal proceedings for Khula or divorce based on three grounds, encompassing various aspects of life. Islam values the well-being and happiness of Muslim women, providing them the freedom to address issues within their marriages. In line with these principles, the Muslim Divorce Act of 1939 was enacted in the country, specifically safeguarding the right of Muslim women to divorce. According to this law, any Muslim woman in India has the legal recourse to seek divorce from her husband.

The grounds for initiating Khula include:

1. Physical defects or ailments, ill-treatment by husband, legal cruelty.
2. If the husband fails to fulfill his physical duties, the wife can seek Khula.
3. Even if the husband’s appearance is not appealing to the wife, she has the right to seek Khula.
4. If the husband consistently returns home late or is absent every night, the wife is entitled to seek Khula.
   

Sania and Shoaib’s Journey from Acquaintance to Marriage

The love story of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik unfolded over the course of several years:

• Sania and Shoaib first met in India during the years 2004-2005, where they didn’t interact much initially.
• They encountered each other again in Hobart, Australia, in 2009-2010. Sania was there for tennis, and Shoaib was part of the Pakistani cricket team on a tour of Australia.
• During this time, their acquaintance blossomed into friendship, marking the beginning of a series of meetings.
• After getting to know each other for approximately 5 months, they took the decision to tie the knot in 2010.
• Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik exchanged vows on 12th April 2010 in Hyderabad, and a reception was held in Lahore on 15th April.
  

Joyful Arrival of Son Izaan After 8 Years of Marriage

Their journey as a family took a significant turn with the birth of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik’s son, Izaan, in 2018, marking 8 years of marriage.

Sania took a break from tennis for one and a half years to dedicate time to her son following his birth.

In her autobiography ‘Ace Against Odds,’ Sania shared that Shoaib entered her life during a challenging phase in her professional career.

Notably, last year, there were reports of divorce between Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik. In July, Shoaib made changes to his Instagram bio, removing Sania Mirza’s name. Previously, he had described himself as ‘Husband to a Superwoman,’ but this reference was later deleted, and the bio was updated to say – ‘Live Unbroken.’

Retirement of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik

Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik’s second wife, concluded her illustrious tennis career in January 2023. Her retirement was marked by a farewell match alongside India’s Rohan Bopanna at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad.

Throughout her tennis career, Sania predominantly participated in doubles and mixed doubles categories, securing victories in 6 Grand Slams. Additionally, she reached the semifinals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Apart from her Grand Slam achievements, Sania clinched 43 titles at various levels during her career.

Shoaib Malik, the former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, played his last match in 2021. Since his debut against West Indies in 1999, he had a notable career, making Test debut in 2001 and T20 debut in 2006. In 2019, he announced his retirement from Tests, accumulating 1898 runs in Tests, 7534 runs in ODIs, and 2435 runs in T20s.

Shoaib participated in the 2021 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan reached the semi-finals. His last international T20 match was against Bangladesh on 20th November 2021, and as of now, he has not officially retired from international cricket.