Fatwa ID: 08357
Answered by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Question:
One day I read some talaq (divorce) sentences on a website. A few days later, while I was in the office, I repeated those talaq sentences in my mind (inner voice) several times over 2–3 days.
Now, after some time, I am getting doubts. I am not sure if I ever said those words out loud or only repeated them internally. I have tried to recall what happened, but I do not remember.
There was no intention to issue a real talaq at that time. It all happened in my thoughts, and now I feel anxiety and doubt about whether my nikah (marriage) is still valid or not.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Thinking statements of divorce in one’s mind, even repeatedly or purposefully, does not cause anything to occur. Divorces must be issued out loud or otherwise communicated through writing or likewise. Thoughts with one’s ‘inner voice’ do not count as valid issuances of divorce.
Even if one had mentioned such statements out loud to themselves, this would not cause anything to occur as a statement of divorce must be directed at one’s spouse. Saying such statements without intending divorce, in an academic and impersonal manner such as when reading books of Fiqh aloud, does not cause divorce to occur.
As an additional point, situations where one is doubtful whether something occurred or not are ruled as not to have occurred. Since there is doubt whether the statement was said aloud or not, it will be ruled that it was not spoken. Therefore, no divorce would have been issued and one can safely move past this incident and think no further on it.
References:
قَوْلُهُ وَرُكْنُهُ لَفْظٌ مَخْصُوصٌ) هُوَ مَا جُعِلَ دَلَالَةً عَلَى مَعْنَى الطَّلَاقِ مِنْ صَرِيحٍ أَوْ كِنَايَةٍ فَخَرَجَ الْفُسُوخُ عَلَى مَا مَرَّ، وَأَرَادَ اللَّفْظَ وَلَوْ حُكْمًا لِيُدْخِلَ الْكِتَابَةَ الْمُسْتَبِينَةَ وَإِشَارَةَ الْأَخْرَسِ وَالْإِشَارَةَ إلَى الْعَدَدِ بِالْأَصَابِعِ فِي قَوْلِهِ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ هَكَذَا كَمَا سَيَأْتِي
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.230
غَيْرُ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ مَا يُكْتَبُ عَلَى الْهَوَاءِ وَالْمَاءِ وَشَيْءٍ لَا يُمْكِنُ فَهْمُهُ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ فَفِي غَيْرِ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ لَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ وَإِنْ نَوَى
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.378
[مَحِلّ الطَّلَاق]
(قَوْلُهُ وَمَحَلُّهُ الْمَنْكُوحَةُ)
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.230
إِنَّ الشَّكَّ وَالِاحْتِمَالَ لَا يُوجِبُ الْحُكْمَ بِالنَّقْضِ، إذْ الْيَقِينُ لَا يَزُولُ بِالشَّكِّ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.148
لِأَنَّ قَطْعَ الْوَسْوَسَةِ وَاجِبٌ
Badaai’ Al-Sanaai’ (Daar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.21
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
