Fatwa ID: 08120

Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah

Question:

Asalamu alaykum,

I hope this finds you well.

Please can you answer the following?

If a husband said in extreme anger, ‘you are divorced’,

And then immediately went downstairs, and as the wife is on the landing, he asks from the bottom of the stairs, “Did you hear me?” And again says, “You are divorced.” The second was intended as making sure it was heard. But only one was intended.

Does that count as two separate divorces?

Are they revocable or irrevocable, please?

He took her back the next day.

Were they supposed to do a new Nikah to be together?

What if he, months later, says it again at a separate sitting?

Is it over?

What if they did not think it is over and carried on, not realizing that it’s been three?

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

Answer:

Assalaamu ‘alaykum,

Words of divorce are of two types: clear/explicit (Ṣariḥ) and ambiguous (Kināyah). The statement “you are divorced” is a clear pronouncement of divorce and usually, the intention is not considered in such a case. This ṣariḥ statement would be considered revocable as long as it is used as the first two pronouncements of divorce. Also, after the first incident, since the husband took back the wife the next day, there would have been no need to renew the nikkah. [1]

The first situation where the husband repeated his words of divorce falls into the ruling of Qada’an wa Diyanatan. This means that the intention of the husband for the second pronouncement of divorce as clarification would be between him and Allah, but in an Islamic court, it would usually be ruled as two pronouncements of divorce, regardless of his intention.

Therefore, if the husband denies that he intended two pronouncements of divorce, but the wife believes that it was two, the matter should be taken to the Islamic court. If there is no evidence, the husband would need to make an oath as to his intention, and if he lies regarding his intention, then the sin will be on him.

However, if the matter is not taken to court and the wife agrees that the husband’s intention was to clarify, then including the pronouncement of divorce made by the husband months later, this will equate to a total of two clear divorces being given. [2]

As for mistakenly continuing to have a relationship with a spouse who is now impermissible for them, after realizing the reality of an ended marriage, both parties must immediately cease their relations, enforce the divorce, and seek forgiveness from Allah (swt) for their mistake.

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

References:

[1]
وَيَدْخُلُ نَحْوُ طَلَاغٍ وَتَلَاغٍ وَطَلَاكٍ وَتَلَاكٍ أَوْ ” طَ لَ قَ ” أَوْ ” طَلَاقٍ بَاشٍ ” بِلَا فَرْقٍ بَيْنَ عَالِمٍ وَجَاهِلٍ، وَإِنْ قَالَ تَعَمَّدْته تَخْوِيفًا لَمْ يُصَدَّقْ قَضَاءً إلَّا إذَا أَشْهَدَ عَلَيْهِ قَبْلَهُ وَبِهِ يُفْتَى؛

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.249, Dār Al-Fiqr)

مِنْ أَنَّ الصَّرِيحَ مَا لَا يَحْتَاجُ إلَى نِيَّةٍ بَائِنًا كَانَ الْوَاقِعُ بِهِ أَوْ رَجْعِيًّا خَاصٌّ بِالصَّرِيحِ فِي الْجُمْلَةِ الْأُولَى: أَعْنِي قَوْلَهُمْ الصَّرِيحُ يَلْحَقُ الصَّرِيحَ وَالْبَائِنَ

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.308, Dār Al-Fiqr)

وَقَدَّمْنَا أَنَّ الطَّلَاقَ الصَّرِيحَ، وَمَا فِي حُكْمِهِ يَعْقُبُ الرَّجْعَةَ، وَضَابَطَهُ فِي الْبَدَائِعِ بِأَنْ يَكُونَ الطَّلَاقُ صَرِيحًا بَعْدَ الدُّخُولِ حَقِيقَةً غَيْرُ مَقْرُونٍ بِعِوَضٍ، وَلَا بِعَدَدِ الثَّلَاثِ نَصًّا، وَلَا إشَارَةً، وَلَا مَوْصُوفٌ بِصِفَةٍ تُنْبِئُ عَنْ الْبَيْنُونَةِ أَوْ تَدُلُّ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ حَرْفِ الْعَطْفِ، وَلَا مُشَبِّهَ بَعْدُ أَوْ صِفَتُهُ تَدُلُّ عَلَيْهَا (قَوْلُهُ هِيَ اسْتِدَامَةُ الْمِلْكِ الْقَائِمِ فِي الْعِدَّةِ) أَيْ الرَّجْعَةُ إبْقَاءُ النِّكَاحِ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مَادَامَتْ فِي الْعِدَّةِ…

Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.4, pg.54, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)

[2]
(قَوْلُهُ كَرَّرَ لَفْظَ الطَّلَاقِ) بِأَنْ قَالَ لِلْمَدْخُولَةِ: أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَوْ قَدْ طَلَّقْتُكِ قَدْ طَلَّقْتُكِ أَوْ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ قَدْ طَلَّقْتُك أَوْ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ وَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ، وَإِذَا قَالَ: أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ ثُمَّ قِيلَ لَهُ مَا قُلْتُ؟ فَقَالَ: قَدْ طَلَّقْتُهَا أَوْ قُلْتُ هِيَ طَالِقٌ فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ وَاحِدَةً لِأَنَّهُ جَوَابٌ، كَذَا فِي كَافِي الْحَاكِمِ (قَوْلُهُ وَإِنْ نَوَى التَّأْكِيدَ دِينَ) أَيْ وَوَقَعَ الْكُلُّ قَضَاءً، وَكَذَا إذَا طَلَّقَ أَشْبَاهَ: أَيْ بِأَنْ لَمْ يَنْوِ اسْتِئْنَافًا وَلَا تَأْكِيدًا لِأَنَّ الْأَصْلَ عَدَمُ التَّأْكِيدِ (قَوْلُهُ وَإِلَّا لَا) أَيْ بِأَنْ قَصَدَ النِّدَاءَ أَوْ أَطْلَقَ فَلَا يَقَعُ عَلَى الْمُعْتَمَدِ أَشْبَاهُ فِي الْعَاشِرِ مِنْ مَبَاحِثِ النِّيَّةِ

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.293, Dār Al-Fiqr)

رَوَى ابْنُ سِمَاعَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – فِيمَنْ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ كُونِي طَالِقًا أَوْ اُطْلُقِي قَالَ أَرَاهُ وَاقِعًا وَلَوْ قَالَ لَهَا أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ طَالِقٌ أَوْ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَوْ قَالَ قَدْ طَلَّقْتُك قَدْ طَلَّقْتُك أَوْ قَالَ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ وَقَدْ طَلَّقْتُك تَقَعُ ثِنْتَانِ إذَا كَانَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ مَدْخُولًا بِهَا وَلَوْ قَالَ عَنَيْت بِالثَّانِي الْإِخْبَارَ عَنْ الْأَوَّلِ لَمْ يُصَدَّقْ فِي الْقَضَاءِ وَيُصَدَّقُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَوْ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مَا قُلْت فَقَالَ طَلَّقْتهَا أَوْ قَالَ قُلْت هِيَ طَالِقٌ فَهِيَ وَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْقَضَاءِ كَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.355, Dār Al-Fiqr)

وَالْمَرْأَةُ كَالْقَاضِي إِذَا سَمِعَتْهُ أَوْ أَخْبَرَهَا عَدْلٌ لَا يَحِلُّ لَهَا تَمْكِينُهُ هَكَذَا اقْتَصَرَ الشَّارِحُونَ وَذَكَرَ فِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ وَذَكَرَ الْأُوزْجَنْدِيُّ أَنَّهَا تَرْفَعُ الْأَمْرَ إلَى الْقَاضِي فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا بَيِّنَةٌ يُحَلِّفُهُ فَإِنْ حَلَفَ فَالْإِثْمُ عَلَيْهِ اهـ.

Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.1, pg.355, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)