Fatwa ID: 07163

Answered by: Maulana Safraz Mohammad

Question:

My wife demanded khula e faskh from Sharee Council in the UK and I accepted to divorce her Islamically and now Islamic divorce is done at the request of my wife.

However, to legally annul the marriage, the wife is not willing to legally end the marriage via UK courts and asking me to send her a civil divorce via courts. I need clarification on below mentioned points:

1. If I initiate the legal divorce process now, will it be considered the 2nd talaq as the first talaq has been done via the Khula process?
2. How many talaqs will be considered after one talaq e bain from Khula and then civil divorce from my side?
3. Is civil divorce considered or matters in this case as The Khula paper has already been signed by me?

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

Answer: 

A written Civil divorce signed by the husband is also considered a shar’ee talāq if he intends talāq. However, if he does not intend a shar’ee talāq but rather he intends a discontinued civil rights and agreement, shar’ee talāq will not take place. 

In your case, one shar’ee talāq was given so the wife will go into her iddah. By signing a civil divorce paper without the intention of a second talāq she will not get a second talāq thereby.

وإن كانت مستبينة لكنها غير مرسومة إن نوى الطلاق يقع وإلا فلا وإن كانت مرسومة يقع الطلاق نوى أو لم ينو ثم المرسومة لا تخلو أما إن أرسل الطلاق بأن كتب أما بعد فأنت طالق فكلما كتب هذا يقع الطلاق وتلزمها العدة من وقت الكتابة۔

(الفتاوٰی الھندیۃ، کتاب الطلاق، الفصل السادس فی الطلاق بالکتابۃ، ج:1، ص:446 )       

«حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي» (3/ 246):

«كُتِبَ الطَّلَاقُ، وَإِنْ مُسْتَبِينًا عَلَى نَحْوِ لَوْحٍ وَقَعَ إنْ نَوَى، وَقِيلَ مُطْلَقًا، وَلَوْ عَلَى نَحْوِ الْمَاءِ فَلَا مُطْلَقًا. وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَالْخِطَابِ، كَأَنْ يَكْتُبُ يَا فُلَانَةُ: إذَا أَتَاك كِتَابِي هَذَا فَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ طَلُقَتْ بِوُصُولِ الْكِتَابِ جَوْهَرَةٌ»

Only Allah تعالي Knows Best 

Written by Maulana Safraz Mohammad

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham