Fatwa ID: 08053
Answered by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Question:
AssalamuAlaikum.
“During a fight with my husband, he said, ‘ from today I have no relation with you/ relation is over” ( any one of the two). At a point I said in native language: “Ami tomar kache theka na” ( I am not liable to you). He said ‘ you’re free, you’re free’. He did not use any clear word as talaq, divorce or any local term indicating such.
Husband assured me and swore by Allah that he didn’t intend talaq. The context of our fight did not revolve around talaq. I did not intend/ ask for talaq by saying ‘not liable ‘ and our nikahmana gives me permission to talaq conditionally ( as such for his physical inability, being imprisoned or untraceable, not providing maintainance)
One of my local fatwa departments counted the word “free” in anger as talaq and said due to multiple kinaya words, one talaq e baaiin was enacted. Also he prescribed me to renew my marriage and I did accordingly.
My questions are:
what is the present state of my marriage? Are we in legal marriage contract now by Islam?
Me having OCD, I want to know, Even if husband intends talaq by multiple kinaya words, how many talaqs are effected in one sitting ?
Does the term ‘not liable ‘ by anyhow mean ‘Asking for’ talaq?
Due to excessive google search in talaq issues, a finding has spiked me a question. If a man says to particular woman BEFORE MARRIAGE, ”If you do so and such, may our relation doesn’t persist ” , does it affect their marriage while the wife actualizing that mentioned thing?
Due to OCD, I think of talaq and without uttering -the thinking of divorcing my husband comes to mind. Does it affect marriage?
N.B: I follow Hanafi Fiqh.
After knowing about kinaya words, I have confusion /waswasa that if me and my husband have uttered allusive words in any of our previous arguments, what would happen? As I don’t remember and not sure about any kinaya word of previous arguments ( when we were unaware of kinaya talaq), what should I do about those?
I know I asked elaboratey but trust me I am so worried. Please enlighten me on the light of Quran and Sunnah references. May Allah reward you. Jajhakallahu khairan.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Wa’alaykumussalaam,
From the statements and context provided by you here, it appears to be that all three statements were unclear kinayah statements uttered neither with the intention of divorce nor in a conversation regarding divorce, and so they will not be considered as statements of divorce. Your husband will be believed regarding his lack of intention with his oath, including in the statement with the word “free”. However, keep in mind that my interpretation of events may be due to a difference in language and/or culture, as I am not familiar with context-sensitive wordings regarding divorce in the language you mentioned, while your local fatwa council will likely be more familiar with such matters. It may also be possible that your local fatwa council came to the conclusion of one talak ba’in due to additional information which was not provided in the question here. Therefore, it would be best for you to reconfirm the ruling which you were given with your local fatwa council and ask them to clarify their reasoning in order for you to feel comfortable. However, regardless of whether one talaq occurred or not, since you renewed your marriage you would certainly be considered married to your husband at the present time.
When it comes to the number of divorces issued in kinayah statements, one has to consider the number of statements, the wording used, and the intention. In some situations the wording can either be zero or one talaq, while other wordings contain the possibility of any number of talaqs, or only either zero, one or three, depending on intention. This is a complex subject, and so determining how many talaqs have been issued, if any, is best left to a qualified scholar. It is also your husband’s duty, as the one entrusted with the responsibility of talaq, to avoid unwise and irresponsible language and to be clear and honest with you regarding any talaqs which he does intend to give.
The wording of ‘not liable’ would likely not be considered talaq unless you intended it to be such. However, since you did not make this statement in English, it would be advisable for you to consult a fellow speaker of your language regarding this statement.
It is best to avoid concerning oneself about theoretical questions unless they are likely to occur. Regarding your question, it seems that divorce would not take place in that particular instance. This is because he was not married to her yet, nor was being married to her mentioned in his statement. Additional problems with the statement are the use of the word ‘may’ and the vagueness of the words ‘our relation doesn’t persist’, which again are dependent on the language being spoken and other factors.
Thinking about divorce does not cause anything to occur. Divorce can only be issued through actual actions.
Unclear memories and similar doubtful matters cannot be ruled upon to break a marriage. As you cannot clearly recall any certain issuance of divorce, we will rule that no divorce has taken place.
If you are often plagued with worries regarding matters such as these to the point that it is interfering with your daily worship and life, it is necessary that you learn to stop thinking about these matters and move past them. A qualified mental health professional may be able to advise you on some methods to cope with concerns such as these.
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
(1) الْفَصْلُ الْخَامِسُ فِي الْكِنَايَاتِ) لَا يَقَعُ بِهَا الطَّلَاقُ إلَّا بِالنِّيَّةِ أَوْ بِدَلَالَةِ حَالٍ
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.374
فَفِي حَالَةِ الرِّضَا لَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ كُلِّهَا إلَّا بِالنِّيَّةِ وَالْقَوْلُ قَوْلُ الزَّوْجِ فِي تَرْكِ النِّيَّةِ مَعَ الْيَمِينِ وَفِي حَالَةِ مُذَاكَرَةِ الطَّلَاقِ يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ فِي سَائِرِ الْأَقْسَامِ قَضَاءً إلَّا فِيمَا يَصْلُحُ جَوَابًا وَرَدَّا فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُجْعَلُ طَلَاقًا كَذَا فِي الْكَافِي وَفِي حَالَةِ الْغَضَبِ يُصَدَّقُ فِي جَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ لِاحْتِمَالِ الرَّدِّ وَالسَّبِّ إلَّا فِيمَا يَصْلُحُ لِلطَّلَاقِ وَلَا يَصْلُحُ لِلرَّدِّ وَالشَّتْمِ كَقَوْلِهِ اعْتَدِّي وَاخْتَارِي وَأَمْرُك بِيَدِك فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُصَدَّقُ فِيهَا
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.375
فِي مَجْمُوعِ النَّوَازِلِ امْرَأَةٌ قَالَتْ لِزَوْجِهَا أَنَا بَرِيئَةٌ مِنْك فَقَالَ الزَّوْجُ أَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِنْك أَيْضًا فَقَالَتْ اُنْظُرْ مَاذَا تَقُولُ فَقَالَ مَا نَوَيْت الطَّلَاقَ لَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ لِعَدَمِ النِّيَّةِ كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ.
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.376
(2) تَطْلُقُ وَاحِدَةً رَجْعِيَّةً فِي اعْتَدِّي وَاسْتَبْرِئِي رَحِمَك وَأَنْتِ وَاحِدَةٌ فَلَا يَقَعُ فِي هَذِهِ الثَّلَاثَةِ إلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ رَجْعِيَّةٌ وَلَوْ نَوَى ثَلَاثًا أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَفِي غَيْرِهَا بَائِنَةٌ وَإِنْ نَوَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَتَصِحُّ نِيَّةُ الثَّلَاثِ وَلَا تَصِحُّ نِيَّةُ الثَّلَاثِ فِي قَوْلِهِ اخْتَارِي كَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ. وَبِابْتَغِي الْأَزْوَاجَ تَقَعُ وَاحِدَةً بَائِنَةٌ إنْ نَوَاهَا أَوْ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَثَلَاثٌ إنْ نَوَاهَا هَكَذَا فِي شَرْحِ الْوِقَايَةِ. وَكَذَا صَحَّتْ نِيَّةُ الثِّنْتَيْنِ فِي الْأَمَةِ كَذَا فِي النَّهْرِ الْفَائِقِ
وَلَوْ طَلَّقَ مَنْكُوحَتَهُ الْحُرَّةَ وَاحِدَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهَا أَنْتِ بَائِنٌ وَنَوَى ثِنْتَيْنِ كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً حَتَّى لَوْ نَوَى الثَّلَاثَ تَقَعُ كَذَا فِي مُحِيطِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.375
(4) إذَا أَضَافَ الطَّلَاقَ إلَى النِّكَاحِ وَقَعَ عَقِيبَ النِّكَاحِ نَحْوُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لِامْرَأَةٍ: إنْ تَزَوَّجْتُكِ فَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَوْ كُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ أَتَزَوَّجُهَا فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ وَكَذَا إذَا قَالَ: إذَا أَوْ مَتَى وَسَوَاءٌ خَصَّ مِصْرًا أَوْ قَبِيلَةً أَوْ وَقْتًا أَوْ لَمْ يَخُصَّ وَإِذَا أَضَافَهُ إلَى الشَّرْطِ وَقَعَ عَقِيبَ الشَّرْطِ اتِّفَاقًا مِثْلُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: إنْ دَخَلْتُ الدَّارَ فَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ وَلَا تَصِحُّ إضَافَةُ الطَّلَاقِ إلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْحَالِفُ مَالِكًا أَوْ يُضِيفَهُ إلَى مِلْكٍ وَالْإِضَافَةُ إلَى سَبَبِ الْمِلْكِ كَالتَّزَوُّجِ كَالْإِضَافَةِ إلَى الْمِلْكِ فَإِنْ قَالَ لِأَجْنَبِيَّةٍ: إنْ دَخَلْتُ الدَّارَ فَأَنْت طَالِقٌ ثُمَّ نَكَحَهَا فَدَخَلَتْ الدَّارَ لَمْ تَطْلُقْ كَذَا فِي الْكَافِي
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.420
(5) قَوْلُهُ وَرُكْنُهُ لَفْظٌ مَخْصُوصٌ) هُوَ مَا جُعِلَ دَلَالَةً عَلَى مَعْنَى الطَّلَاقِ مِنْ صَرِيحٍ أَوْ كِنَايَةٍ فَخَرَجَ الْفُسُوخُ عَلَى مَا مَرَّ، وَأَرَادَ اللَّفْظَ وَلَوْ حُكْمًا لِيُدْخِلَ الْكِتَابَةَ الْمُسْتَبِينَةَ وَإِشَارَةَ الْأَخْرَسِ وَالْإِشَارَةَ إلَى الْعَدَدِ بِالْأَصَابِعِ فِي قَوْلِهِ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ هَكَذَا كَمَا سَيَأْتِي
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.230
غَيْرُ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ مَا يُكْتَبُ عَلَى الْهَوَاءِ وَالْمَاءِ وَشَيْءٍ لَا يُمْكِنُ فَهْمُهُ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ فَفِي غَيْرِ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ لَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ وَإِنْ نَوَى
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.378
(6) إنَّ الشَّكَّ وَالِاحْتِمَالَ لَا يُوجِبُ الْحُكْمَ بِالنَّقْضِ، إذْ الْيَقِينُ لَا يَزُولُ بِالشَّكِّ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.148
وَالسَّبِيلُ فِي الْوَسْوَسَةِ قَطْعُهَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ اشْتَغَلَ بِذَلِكَ لَأَدَّى إلَى أَنْ يَتَفَرَّعَ لِأَدَاءِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَهَذَا لَا يَجُوزُ
Badaai’ Al-Sanaai’ (Daar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.33
