Fatwa ID: 08058

Answered by: Moulana Sakib Shadman

Question:
Assalamualaykum,

Husband and wife divorce once but get back together and then time passes and they have another divorce which they again got back together after but this divorce caused a conflict between them now though as they had gotten their third and final divorce and when asking mufti for verification on all three divorces,

both husband and wife agreed that he was half asleep during one of them but then after asking a mufti and receiving verification that one was not valid the husband changed his mind and said he was awake so divorce does count but the wife is certain she remembers her attempts at waking him and that situation is not unlikely to happen because he many times had gone to sleep during arguments etc and even woken up the next day thinking a different situation had happened to the real one.

The wife doesn’t believe the husbands recollection over her own especially since he had previously stated multiple times he was asleep, and the husband has also previously stated that he cannot remember the second divorce either but now says he remembers it to be a different situation than the wife remembers, is there anyway to see who is correct?

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

Answer:
The divorce of a sleeping person does not count.

Since your husband is the one who issued the talaq, his testimony will be accepted in regards to whether he was asleep or not when he pronounced talaq. If he remembers pronouncing talaq, he was most likely awake. Unless you can present evidence such as two male witnesses to back up your story, the husband’s assertion will be given preference.

You also say that he keeps changing his recollection of your argument and whether or not he was asleep or not.

A practical solution for both of you

In order to conclusively solve this dispute, you should ask your husband to provide a final truthful testimony of whether he was asleep or not whilst pronouncing talaq. Two male witnesses should be present. They shall mediate between you two. Your husband should take an oath by Allah Ta’ala when providing his testimony.

If he asserts that he was awake whilst pronouncing talaq, you should consider yourselves to be permanently divorced (i.e. three talaqs have taken place in total).

If he testifies that he was asleep and does not remember giving talaq due to being asleep and unconscious, then you may reconcile your marriage if your husband agrees to it. How you reconcile your marriage depends on what type of talaq he gave you and whether your Iddah/ waiting period is finished or not.

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

References: قَوْلُهُ: (وَالنَّائِمُ) أَيْ لَا يَقَعُ طَلَاقُ النَّائِمِ فَلَوْ قَالَ لَهَا بَعْدَمَا اسْتَيْقَظَ طَلَّقْتُك فِي النَّوْمِ أَوْ أَجَزْت ذَلِكَ الطَّلَاقَ أَوْ أَوْقَعْت مَا تَلَفَّظْت بِهِ حَالَةَ النَّوْمِ لَا يَقَعُ وَلَوْ قَالَ أَوْقَعْت ذَلِكَ الطَّلَاقَ
ص268 – كتاب البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري – كتاب الطلاق – المكتبة الشاملة

وإن اختلفا في الشرط فالقول قول الزوج، إلا أن تقيم المرأة البينة؛ لأنه متمسك بالأصل
ص420 – كتاب البناية شرح الهداية – اختلف الزوج
والزوجة في وجود الشرط في الطلاق – المكتبة الشاملة

وأما هاهنا الطلاق في يد الزوج إن شاء طلقها وإن شاء أمسكها بالعيب، فلا حاجة بنا إلى إثبات خيار الرد (١).
ص396 – كتاب رؤوس المسائل للزمخشري – خيار الأمة إذا اعتقت تحت حر – المكتبة الشاملة

(وسيعرف) كل واحد في موضعه مفصلا (وقد نفوا) أي الحنفية (اليمين عن المدعى بحديث “البينة على المدعي) واليمين على المدعى عليه”
ص102 – تيسير التحرير شرح كتاب التحرير في أصول الفقه – الفصل الثاني – المكتبة الشاملة

الأصل في جنس هذه المسائل: أن الزوج متى ما أنكر وجود ما هو شرط وقوع الطلاق، فالقول قوله؛ لأنّه ينكر وقوع الطلاق ومتّى أقرّ ما هو شرط وقوع الطلاق،
ص311 – كتاب المحيط البرهاني – الفصل الثاني عشر في الرجل يوقع الطلاق على امرأته ثم يقول لي امرأة أخرى والمطلقة هي الأخرى