Fatwa ID: 08351

Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah

Question:

I need to ask that I was married to my cousin in 2000 after sometime I took Khula through court as all reasons for it according to shariah. The document issued by court was an agreement of finishing marriage contract a professional lawyer was involved he made documents which was signed by the person I was married to by his father me and my brother.

Its been more than 11 years, is my divorce or Khula according to Shariah or is it required for him to say or write those words talaq then it will be according to Shariah?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

A divorce issued by a Shari’ah court is a valid form of divorce. A Khula’ is a negotiation made between spouses for a divorce, where the husband agrees to grant the wife a divorce for a price. If an agreement cannot be reached and the wife still desires a divorce, she can seek an Islamic Court or Shari’ah Council to mediate the situation.

The Qadhi (Judge) can attempt to negotiate a mutual divorce or Khula’. If this is unsuccessful and the Qadhi deems the wife’s request for a divorce as valid, they may issue an annulment of the marriage. This would be considered Faskh (annulment), rather than Khula’.

As the ruling for your divorce was already given by the Shari’ah court, it is perfectly acceptable for the documents to be notarized through a professional lawyer. It should be kept in mind that divorce given in written form is also an accepted method in Islam. This includes a husband knowingly signing a clear document of divorce, even if he has not written the document himself.

References:

(الْفَصْلُ السَّادِسُ فِي الطَّلَاقِ بِالْكِتَابَةِ) الْكِتَابَةُ عَلَى نَوْعَيْنِ مَرْسُومَةٌ وَغَيْرُ مَرْسُومَةٍ وَنَعْنِي بِالْمَرْسُومَةِ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُصَدَّرًا وَمُعَنْوَنًا مِثْلُ مَا يُكْتَبُ إلَى الْغَائِبِ وَغَيْرُ مَوْسُومَةٍ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ مُصَدَّرًا وَمُعَنْوَنًا وَهُوَ عَلَى وَجْهَيْنِ مُسْتَبِينَةٌ وَغَيْرُ مُسْتَبِينَةٍ فَالْمُسْتَبِينَةُ مَا يُكْتَبُ عَلَى الصَّحِيفَةِ وَالْحَائِطِ وَالْأَرْضِ عَلَى وَجْهٍ يُمْكِنُ فَهْمُهُ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ وَغَيْرُ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ مَا يُكْتَبُ عَلَى الْهَوَاءِ وَالْمَاءِ وَشَيْءٍ لَا يُمْكِنُ فَهْمُهُ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ فَفِي غَيْرِ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ لَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ وَإِنْ نَوَى وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُسْتَبِينَةً لَكِنَّهَا غَيْرُ مَرْسُومَةٍ إنْ نَوَى الطَّلَاقَ يَقَعُ وَإِلَّا فَلَا وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مَرْسُومَةً يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ نَوَى أَوْ لَمْ يَنْوِ ثُمَّ الْمَرْسُومَةُ لَا تَخْلُو أَمَّا إنْ أَرْسَلَ الطَّلَاقَ بِأَنْ كَتَبَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَنْت طَالِقٌ فَكُلَّمَا كَتَبَ هَذَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ وَتَلْزَمُهَا الْعِدَّةُ مِنْ وَقْتِ الْكِتَابَةِ.

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.378, Dār Al-Fiqr)

وَلَوْ قَالَ لِلْكَاتِبِ: اُكْتُبْ طَلَاقَ امْرَأَتِي كَانَ إقْرَارًا بِالطَّلَاقِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكْتُبْ؛ وَلَوْ اسْتَكْتَبَ مِنْ آخَرَ كِتَابًا بِطَلَاقِهَا وَقَرَأَهُ عَلَى الزَّوْجِ فَأَخَذَهُ الزَّوْجُ وَخَتَمَهُ وَعَنْوَنَهُ وَبَعَثَ بِهِ إلَيْهَا فَأَتَاهَا وَقَعَ إنْ أَقَرَّ الزَّوْجُ أَنَّهُ كِتَابَةٌ أَوْ قَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ: ابْعَثْ بِهِ إلَيْهَا، أَوْ قَالَ لَهُ: اُكْتُبْ نُسْخَةً وَابْعَثْ بِهَا إلَيْهَا، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُقِرَّ أَنَّهُ كِتَابُهُ وَلَمْ تَقُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ لَكِنَّهُ وَصَفَ الْأَمْرَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ لَا تَطْلُقُ قَضَاءً وَلَا دِيَانَةً، وَكَذَا كُلُّ كِتَابٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ بِخَطِّهِ وَلَمْ يُمْلِهِ بِنَفْسِهِ لَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ مَا لَمْ يُقِرَّ أَنَّهُ كِتَابُهُ

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.246-7, Dār Al-Fiqr)

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham