This course begins with a survey of the Islamic intellectual tradition on the topics of how people get married, the age of marriage, the emotional and legal bond between spouses, procreation and contraception, divorce, widowhood, and child custody. It continues with an examination of the history of marriage and divorce documents and the relationship between religious theory and social practice. It concludes with an exploration of contemporary discussions within Muslim communities around the world surrounding issues of dowries, polygamy, and divorce.