Fatwa ID: 09305
Answered by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum,
I am seeking clarification regarding a serious matter about possible talaq.
During an argument, my husband said a word that sounded like “divorce.” He said it three times. However, he now claims that he did not say the actual word “divorce” but instead said something that sounded like “diworce,” and that he did not intend to end the marriage.
He is saying that:
He did not use the correct word “divorce”
His intention was not to end the marriage
He only said it during an argument
He did not mean talaq
At the time, I understood it as him saying “divorce,” and he admits that it sounded similar. There have been no previous divorces before this incident.
We are based in England.
Could you please clarify:
Does this count as a valid talaq?
If it does count, is it considered one talaq or three?
What should we do now?
JazakAllahu khair for your guidance.
Wassalamu Alaikum
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The distortion of the word “Talaaq” (طَلَاق) by changing the pronouncement of a letter, such as “Talaagh” (طَلَاغ), “talaagh” (تَلَاغ), “Talaak” (طَلَاك), “talaak” (تَلَاك), or “ta-la-qa” (طَ لَ قَ), would still considered a divorce. A husband’s intent to not mean divorce would not be believed, unless he had informed the witnesses to this pronouncement of his intent beforehand. Islam teaches us to treat all people with respect and dignity regardless of who they are to us. If a man wishes to divorce his wife, he should follow the way taught to us, which is to give the declaration clearly. Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:[1]
“And when you divorce women and they have reached their term, then either retain them in a good manner or release them in a good manner, and do not keep them intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself…” Surah Al-Baqarah (2:231) [2]
The same ruling would apply to distorting the word “divorce” in English into “diworce”. As there were no informed witnesses for this distorted pronouncement, and neither did you hear the distortion, his intent would not be believed. As your husband made this pronouncement three times, it would be considered three separate valid statements of divorce. As such, he has made himself haram upon you irrevocably. After a third pronouncement of divorce, you cannot renew your nikah until you (the former wife) have entered into a genuine marriage with a different husband and then that marriage naturally ends.[3]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah 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)
الْفَصْلُ الْخَامِسُ فِي الْكِنَايَاتِ) لَا يَقَعُ بِهَا الطَّلَاقُ إلَّا بِالنِّيَّةِ أَوْ بِدَلَالَةِ حَالٍ
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.374, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[2]
وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُ ۚ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا آيَاتِ اللَّهِ هُزُوًا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
Qur’an (2:231)
[3]
وَالْمَرْأَةُ كَالْقَاضِي إذَا 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. وَلَا فَرْقَ فِي الْبَائِنِ بَيْنَ الْوَاحِدَةِ، وَالثَّلَاثِ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.3, pg.277, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
كِنَايَتُهُ) عِنْدَ الْفُقَهَاءِ (مَا لَمْ يُوضَعْ لَهُ) أَيْ الطَّلَاقِ (وَاحْتَمَلَهُ) وَغَيْرَهُ (فَ) الْكِنَايَاتُ (لَا تَطْلُقُ بِهَا) قَضَاءً (إلَّا بِنِيَّةٍ أَوْ دَلَالَةِ الْحَالِ) وَهِيَ حَالَةُ مُذَاكَرَةِ الطَّلَاقِ أَوْ الْغَضَبِ…
… وَمِنْهَا عَدَّيْتُ عَنْهَا فَيَقَعُ بِهِ الْبَائِنُ بِالنِّيَّةِ…
… وَنَوَى الطَّلَاقَ تَقَعُ وَاحِدَةٌ بَائِنَةٌ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.296-7, Dār Al-Fiqr)
الرَّجْعَةَ عَلَى زَوْجَتِهِ، وَطَلَاقٌ رَجْعِيٌّ بِالْوَجْهَيْنِ أَيْضًا. اهـ
وَقَدَّمْنَا أَنَّ الطَّلَاقَ الصَّرِيحَ، وَمَا فِي حُكْمِهِ يَعْقُبُ الرَّجْعَةَ… (قَوْلُهُ هِيَ اسْتِدَامَةُ الْمِلْكِ الْقَائِمِ فِي الْعِدَّةِ) أَيْ الرَّجْعَةُ إبْقَاءُ النِّكَاحِ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مَادَامَتْ فِي الْعِدَّةِ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ} [البقرة: ٢٣١] لِأَنَّ الْإِمْسَاكَ اسْتِدَامَةُ الْمِلْكِ الْقَائِمِ لَا إعَادَةُ الزَّائِلِ وقَوْله تَعَالَى {وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ} [البقرة: ٢٢٨] يَدُلُّ عَلَى عَدَمِ اشْتِرَاطِ رِضَاهَا، وَعَلَى اشْتِرَاطِ الْعِدَّةِ إذْ لَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَهَا بَعْلًا، وَالرَّدُّ يَصْدُقُ حَقِيقَةً بَعْدَ انْعِقَادِ سَبَبِ زَوَالِ الْمِلْكِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ زَائِلًا بَعْدُ كَمَا بَعْدَ الزَّوَالِ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.4, pg.54, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
الطَّلَاقُ مَرَّتَانِ ۖ فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ … فَإِن طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ مِن بَعْدُ حَتَّىٰ تَنكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ ۗ فَإِن طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَن يَتَرَاجَعَا إِن ظَنَّا أَن يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ يُبَيِّنُهَا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
Qur’an (2:229-230)
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَنْ يَتَرَاجَعَا﴾ [البقرة: ٢٣٠] أَيْ يَتَنَاكَحَا بَعْدَ طَلَاقِ الزَّوْجِ الثَّانِي وَذَا فِي الْحُرِّ وَالْحُرَّةِ
Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.3, pg.97, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)