Fatwa ID: 08736

 

 

Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah

 

Question:

 

I would like a fatwa in regard to my daughter in law getting a divorce from a sharia council in UK without my son’s consent. She got married to him back in January 2024 after only 3 months of marriage he discovered her involvement in gang activity and a hit and run case in drug county line crime, to cover her truckers she made false allegations of rape they never charged him but the case still on going. Later she made another false allegation of stalking her, and another one in November that he is harassing and intimidating her in results of this false accusation he was arrested 4 times, non of these cases been proven.

 

Also we discovered that she was married before that and it was concealed by her and her family and she accused her first husband of rape we never know until today if she actually got a divorce from her first husband. I need a fatwa in regards to her divorce she applied to sharia council in Gunnersbury and after contacting my son and asked him about the marriage (separate place to live which he did provide and spending of the household which he did) also other questions in regards his relationship with him they decided that she can only apply to khula, but she did not accept it and went shopping for divorce online and found the Islamic council which will give a divorce paper with no discussion to the other half just based on her word.

 

 

They never contacted my son to give his side of the story or asking him about anything, may I also point that my husband try to contact her Dad in several times and dad refused to talk to him. I would like a fatwa in regards this divorce and also about the dowry as this marriage was built on deception from her family concealing her first marriage and if she even got a divorce from it and also hiding all of police cases she had included allegations of rape of her first husband, hit and run case in Brighton with 3 ex convict drug dealers in her car, porn revenge case and the fact she had 2 miscarriages before and STD. All of the above I have a proof for it. My son is data scientist with two master degrees with no involvement with a police in any shape or form.

 

 

 

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

 

 

Answer:

 

A Khula’ is a negotiation made between spouses for a divorce, where the husband agrees to grant the wife divorce for a price. If an Islamic Court or Shari’ah Council deems a request for divorce to be valid they may annul the marriage. This would be considered Faskh (annulment), rather than Khula’. When a case is brought to an Islamic court, it is the duty of the Qadhi (judge) to attempt to get in contact with the accused party in order to ascertain the situation. This means your son should be made aware during the proceedings and is to be given the opportunity to provide his own evidence and defence.

 

 

In Islam, a judge is to rule with certainty, so if there is a lack of evidence or clarity they should not deliver a verdict. To deliver a ruling without ascertaining the truth of the matter would be gross negligence on the part of the judge and an incorrect judgement would render the verdict invalid. You would therefore have the right to seek a new ruling from a different judge.^[1]

 

 

I am sorry to hear about the unfortunate situation your son is in, may Allah (swt) grant you both ease. I assume your question is in regards to the return of the dowry (mahr). The dowry is compulsory (fardh) wealth that is due to the wife in a marriage contract in return for the husband being allowed to have relations with his wife. What will need to be confirmed in this situation is whether or not your son consummated the marriage with her. Your son would only be returned half the dowry if their marriage was not consummated, and the full dowry if they did consummate the marriage despite her immorality or unsuitability with him. If the marriage was invalid due to her still being married to her first husband, the mahr would be reduced to the lesser of the two: mahr mithl or what was promised in the marriage contract.

 

 

In the case of a Khula’, your son can stipulate for the full dowry to be returned in exchange for a divorce. As this situation involves serious criminal activity and concealed information, I advise you to first seek professional legal advice and the help of a local Islamic mediator to assist in this matter.^[2]

 

 

 

References:

 

[1]

(وَأَمَّا مَسَائِلُ الْخُلْعِ) فَاعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ فِي بَابِ الْخُلْعِ نَظِيرُ الرَّجُلِ فِي بَابِ النِّكَاحِ لِأَنَّ مَنْ يُتَوَقَّعُ مِنْهُ الْبَذْلُ فِي الْخُلْعِ الْمَرْأَةُ، وَمَنْ يُتَوَقَّعُ مِنْهُ الْبَذْلُ فِي بَابِ النِّكَاحِ الزَّوْجُ، فَإِنْ بَذَلَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ مَنْفَعَةَ أَرْضِهَا أَوْ مَنْفَعَةَ نَفْسِهَا فَلِلزَّوْجِ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ عِنْدَ أَبِي يُوسُفَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – بِسَبَبِ الْخُلْعِ نِصْفُ أَجْرِ مِثْلِ الْأَرْضِ، وَعِنْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – لَهُ الْأَقَلُّ مِنْ الْمَهْرِ الَّذِي سَمَّى لَهَا وَمِنْ أَجْرِ مِثْلِ جَمِيعِ الْأَرْضِ، وَإِنْ بَذَلَتْ نِصْفَ الْخَارِجِ مِنْهَا يَقَعُ الْخُلْعُ بِالْمَهْرِ الَّذِي سُمِّيَ لَهَا بَالِغًا مَا بَلَغَ فِي قَوْلِهِمْ جَمِيعًا

 

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.5, pg.266, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

وَأَمَّا بَيَانُ مَا يَرْفَعُ حُكْمَ النِّكَاحِ، فَبَيَانُهُ بَيَانُ مَا تَقَعُ بِهِ الْفُرْقَةُ بَيْنَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ، وَلِوُقُوعِ الْفُرْقَةِ بَيْنَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ أَسْبَابٌ لَكِنَّ الْوَاقِعَ بِبَعْضِهَا فُرْقَةٌ بِطَلَاقٍ، وَبَعْضُهَا فُرْقَةٌ بِغَيْرِ طَلَاقٍ، وَفِي بَعْضِهَا يَقَعُ فُرْقَةٌ بِغَيْرِ قَضَاءِ الْقَاضِي، وَفِي بَعْضِهَا لَا يَقَعُ إلَّا بِقَضَاءِ الْقَاضِي، فَنَذْكُرُ جُمْلَةَ ذَلِكَ بِتَوْفِيقِ اللَّهِ مِنْهَا.

الطَّلَاقُ بِصَرِيحِهِ، وَكِنَايَاتِهِ، وَلَهُ كِتَابٌ مُفْرَدٌ، وَمِنْهَا اللِّعَانُ وَلَا تَقَعُ الْفُرْقَةُ إلَّا بِتَفْرِيقِ الْقَاضِي عِنْدَ أَصْحَابِنَا.

 

Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.2, pg.336, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)

 

وَأَمَّا بَيَانُ حُكْمِ خَطَأِ الْقَاضِي فِي الْقَضَاءِ فَنَقُولُ: الْأَصْلُ أَنَّ الْقَاضِيَ إذَا أَخْطَأَ فِي قَضَائِهِ…وَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا لَيْسَ بِمَالٍ، كَالطَّلَاقِ وَالْعَتَاقِ بَطَلَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّ قَضَاءَهُ كَانَ بَاطِلًا، وَأَنَّهُ أَمْرٌ شَرْعِيٌّ يَحْتَمِلُ الرَّدَّ فَيُرَدُّ…

 

Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.7, pg.16, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah), similarly in Raddul Muhtār (Vol.5, pg.418, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

إذَا كَانَ نَفْسُ الْقَضَاءِ مُخْتَلَفًا فِيهِ بِأَنْ قَضَى الْقَاضِي بِحَقٍّ عَلَى الْغَائِبِ أَوْ لِلْغَائِبِ هَلْ يَنْفُذُ؟ فِيهِ رِوَايَتَانِ عَنْ أَصْحَابِنَا فِي رِوَايَةٍ لَا يَنْفُذُ وَهَكَذَا ذَكَرَ الْخَصَّافُ وَهُوَ صَحِيحٌ،

 

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.3, pg.356, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

 

[2]

(قَوْلُهُ وَفِي تَأَكُّدِ الْمَهْرِ) أَيْ فِي خَلْوَةِ النِّكَاحِ الصَّحِيحِ، أَمَّا الْفَاسِدُ فَيَجِبُ فِيهِ مَهْرُ الْمِثْلِ بِالْوَطْءِ لَا بِالْخَلْوَةِ كَمَا سَيَذْكُرُهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ لِحُرْمَةِ الْوَطْءِ فِيهِ، فَكَانَ كَالْخَلْوَةِ بِالْحَائِضِ (قَوْلُهُ وَالْعِدَّةِ) وُجُوبُهَا مِنْ أَحْكَامِ الْخَلْوَةِ سَوَاءٌ كَانَتْ صَحِيحَةً أَمْ لَا ط: أَيْ إذَا كَانَتْ فِيهِ نِكَاحٌ صَحِيحٌ، أَمَّا الْفَاسِدُ فَتَجِبُ فِيهِ الْعِدَّةُ بِالْوَطْءِ كَمَا سَيَأْتِي

 

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.118, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

(قَوْلُهُ: نِكَاحًا فَاسِدًا) هِيَ الْمَنْكُوحَةُ بِغَيْرِ شُهُودٍ، وَنِكَاحُ امْرَأَةِ الْغَيْرِ بِلَا عِلْمٍ بِأَنَّهَا مُتَزَوِّجَةٌ، وَنِكَاحُ الْمَحَارِمِ مَعَ الْعِلْمِ بِعَدَمِ الْحِلِّ فَاسِدٌ عِنْدَهُ خِلَافًا لَهُمَا فَتْحٌ. مَطْلَبٌ فِي النِّكَاحِ الْفَاسِدِ وَالْبَاطِلِ.

 

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.516, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

(قَوْلُهُ فِي نِكَاحٍ فَاسِدٍ) وَحُكْمُ الدُّخُولِ فِي النِّكَاحِ الْمَوْقُوفِ كَالدُّخُولِ فِي الْفَاسِدِ، فَيَسْقُطُ الْحَدُّ وَيَثْبُتُ النَّسَبُ وَيَجِبُ الْأَقَلُّ مِنْ الْمُسَمَّى وَمِنْ مَهْرِ الْمِثْلِ

 

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.131, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

(قَوْلُهُ مِنْ جَانِبِهِ إلَخْ) أَيْ يُعْتَبَرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الرَّجُلُ مُكَافِئًا لَهَا فِي الْأَوْصَافِ الْآتِيَةِ بِأَنْ لَا يَكُونَ دُونَهَا فِيهَا، وَلَا تُعْتَبَرُ مِنْ جَانِبِهَا بِأَنْ تَكُونَ مُكَافِئَةً لَهُ فِيهَا بَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ تَكُونَ دُونَهُ فِيهَا (قَوْلُهُ وَلِذَا لَا تُعْتَبَرُ) تَعْلِيلٌ لِلْمَفْهُومِ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ الشَّرِيفَ لَا يَأْبَى أَنْ يَكُونَ مُسْتَفْرِشًا لِلدَّنِيئَةِ كَالْأَمَةِ وَالْكِتَابِيَّةِ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَا يُعَدُّ عَارًا فِي حَقِّهِ بَلْ فِي حَقِّهَا لِأَنَّ النِّكَاحَ رِقٌّ لِلْمَرْأَةِ وَالزَّوْجُ مَالِكٌ.

… بِخِلَافِ جَانِبِ الرَّجُلِ فَإِنَّهُ إذَا تَزَوَّجَ بِنَفْسِهِ مُكَافِئَةً لَهُ أَوْ لَا فَإِنَّهُ صَحِيحٌ لَازِمٌ…

 

Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.84-5, 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