Fatwa ID: 09092
Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
Assalamualaykum. My wife is on her period. We have gotten into a very bad argument and she asked for a divorce. I did not want a divorce. However she said talaq to me and women can’t divorce so I had said talaq to her 3 times to fulfil her request although I did not want it. I was under the assumption that to initiate a divorce you must say talaq 3 times. Now I have found out that saying talaq even once causes a divorce and we enter iddah period. I am seeing online that we are now forbidden from each other as we’ve divorced 3 times as I had said talaq 3 times. Wallahi this was a genuine mistake I had no idea this was the case and I did not even want a divorce I was under the assumption we’d go into iddah and my wife would change her ways. We wasn’t even fully aware of the method known as khula either. I had said talaq 3 times in 1 second although I did not mean and understand the mistake I’ve committed. I need guidance this is my wife i am so stressed out. Please reply to me and if you need to call me please do so as well and ask for it in the email. JazakAllah Khair.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
May Allah (ﷻ) ease your hardships, forgive your shortcomings, and grant you peace and guidance during this difficult time. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
There are three things which, whether undertaken seriously or in jest, are treated as serious: Marriage, divorce and taking back a wife (after a divorce which is not final).
(Sunan Abi Dawud 2194, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1184)
Talāq (divorce) is not something to be taken lightly. Once it is uttered, it carries serious consequences and cannot be cancelled. Although you were not aware of the rulings of Talāq when you uttered three statements of Talāq Sarīh (clear divorce), you were conscious of your actions and were aware of what you were saying، even if you did not mean it. When Talāq Sarīh is pronounced with awareness, it is valid and affects the marriage [1].
Explicit Words (Talāq Sarīh) [1, 2]
These are clear, direct terms and wording that undoubtedly signify divorce. In cases of explicit statements, no intention of divorce is required for divorce to occur. The words alone are enough. If a husband simply says “I divorce you” or “Talāq”, Talāq would happen regardless of intention.
By issuing three Talāq Raj’ī (revocable divorces), you have ended your Nikāh (marriage) and your wife has now become Mughallazah (severely divorced) [3, 4]. She has become Harām (forbidden) for you and you cannot get back together. She should observe her ‘Iddah (waiting period) of three menstruation cycles and you should fulfill any financial obligations to her (expenditure and accommodation) during that period. [5, 6]
Moving Forward
You should turn to Allah (ﷻ) and seek His mercy, guidance, and forgiveness. Ask Allah (ﷻ) to grant you the patience and the strength to accept what has happened and to grant you Khair (goodness) moving forward. What is done cannot be undone, but Allah (ﷻ) is always capable of bringing ease after hardship and opening new doors. Place your trust in Allah (ﷻ) and endure this trial through patience and prayer. Perhaps this difficult moment will become the doorway to something far better.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
(الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الطَّلَاقِ الصَّرِيحِ) . وَهُوَ كَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ وَمُطَلَّقَةٌ وَطَلَّقْتُك وَتَقَعُ وَاحِدَةٌ رَجْعِيَّةٌ وَإِنْ نَوَى الْأَكْثَرَ أَوْ الْإِبَانَةَ أَوْ لَمْ يَنْوِ شَيْئًا كَذَا فِي الْكَنْزِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 354, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[2]
وَعَرَّفَهُ فِي التَّحْرِيرِ بِمَا يَثْبُتُ حُكْمُهُ الشَّرْعِيُّ بِلَا نِيَّةٍ، وَأَرَادَ بِمَا اللَّفْظَ أَوْ مَا يَقُومُ مَقَامَهُ مِنْ الْكِتَابَةِ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ أَوْ الْإِشَارَةِ الْمَفْهُومَةِ
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 3, pg. 247, Darul Fikr Beirut)
[3]
وَطَلَاقُ الْبِدْعَةِ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا ثَلَاثًا بِكَلِمَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَإِذَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ وَقَعَ الطَّلَاقُ
(Al-Fath Al-Qadeer, vol. 3, pg. 468, Maṭba’ah Mustafā Al-Bābī Al-Halabī)
[4]
(وَأَمَّا الْبِدْعِيُّ) فَنَوْعَانِ بِدْعِيٌّ لِمَعْنًى يَعُودُ إلَى الْعَدَدِ وَبِدْعِيٌّ لِمَعْنًى يَعُودُ إلَى الْوَقْتِ (فَاَلَّذِي) يَعُودُ إلَى الْعَدَدِ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا ثَلَاثًا فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ أَوْ بِكَلِمَاتٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ أَوْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ التَّطْلِيقَتَيْنِ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ بِكَلِمَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ أَوْ بِكَلِمَتَيْنِ مُتَفَرِّقَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ وَقَعَ الطَّلَاقُ وَكَانَ عَاصِيًا. (وَالْبِدْعِيُّ) مِنْ حَيْثُ الْوَقْتُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ الْمَدْخُولَ بِهَا وَهِيَ مِنْ ذَوَاتِ الْأَقْرَاءِ فِي حَالَةِ الْحَيْضِ أَوْ فِي طُهْرٍ جَامَعَهَا فِيهِ وَكَانَ الطَّلَاقُ وَاقِعًا وَيُسْتَحَبُّ لَهُ أَنْ يُرَاجِعَهَا وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنَّ الرَّجْعَةَ وَاجِبَةٌ هَكَذَا فِي الْكَافِي
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 349, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[5]
وَٱلْمُطَلَّقَـٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَـٰثَةَ قُرُوٓءٍۢ
(Al-Baqarah 2:228)
[6]
(قَالَ:) وَلِكُلِّ مُطَلَّقَةٍ بِثَلَاثٍ أَوْ وَاحِدَةٍ السُّكْنَى وَالنَّفَقَةُ مَا دَامَتْ فِي الْعِدَّةِ، أَمَّا الْمُطَلَّقَةُ الرَّجْعِيَّةُ؛ فَلِأَنَّهَا فِي بَيْتِهِ مَنْكُوحَةٌ لَهُ كَمَا كَانَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَإِنَّمَا أَشْرَفَ النِّكَاحُ عَلَى الزَّوَالِ عِنْدَ انْقِضَاءِ الْعِدَّةِ وَذَلِكَ غَيْرُ مُسْقِطٍ لِلنَّفَقَةِ كَمَا لَوْ آلَى مِنْهَا، أَوْ عَلَّقَ طَلَاقَهَا بِمُضِيِّ شَهْرٍ فَأَمَّا الْمَبْتُوتَةُ فَلَهَا النَّفَقَةُ وَالسُّكْنَى مَا دَامَتْ فِي الْعِدَّةِ عِنْدَنَا.
(Al-Mabsūt As-Sarakhsī, vol. 5, pg. 201, Matba’ah As-Sa’ādah)