Fatwa ID: 08205

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Question:

I need a fatwa from a mufti to confirm if divorcing my wife during an argument was valid or not.

We had a big argument a couple of months ago. She kept saying, “Divorce me,” and I refused. She chased me to the other room, and we had a big argument. She started shouting, saying, “Divorce me,” and she got physical with me. I was outraged, and when I said the word divorce to her, I was shocked, and I didn’t believe the word came out from my mouth. I kept saying I divorced her and was in complete shock and confused, as I was out of control when I said it. I want to know if this talaq was valid or not.

Jazak Allah khair

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

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

While the Talaq of one who is angry such that they are not conscious at the time of giving Talaq may be excused, what you have stated does not appear to be insanity driven by outrage [1]. As someone who was clearly conscious at the time of giving Talaq and who remembers their thoughts and actions clearly, this appears to be nothing more than you succumbing to the pressure and the heat of the moment, not someone who is genuinely out of control. Rather, Talaq is almost always given in a state of anger [2].

Thus, there is little evidence to suggest that the Talaqs you have given were invalid. Given that you gave Talaq more than twice, this means that a Talaq Mughalladah has occurred. As a result, not only are you separated from your wife, but you cannot remarry her unless she marries someone else, consummates the marriage with them, divorces them, and then agrees to remarry you [3].

Regardless, it is clear that your wife wishes to separate from you. As such, the most sensible and precautious thing for you to do is to acknowledge that Talaq has been given and separate from her.

And only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

REFERENCE:

[1] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 230, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ وَأَهْلُهُ زَوْجٌ عَاقِلٌ إلَخْ) احْتَرَزَ بِالزَّوْجِ عَنْ سَيِّدِ الْعَبْدِ وَوَالِدِهِ الصَّغِيرِ، وَبِالْعَاقِلِ وَلَوْ حُكْمًا عَنْ الْمَجْنُونِ وَالْمَعْتُوهِ وَالْمَدْهُوشِ وَالْمُبَرْسَمِ وَالْمُغْمَى عَلَيْهِ، بِخِلَافِ السَّكْرَانِ مُضْطَرًّا أَوْ مُكْرَهًا، وَبِالْبَالِغِ عَنْ الصَّبِيِّ وَلَوْ مُرَاهِقًا، وَبِالْمُسْتَيْقِظِ عَنْ النَّائِمِ. وَأَفَادَ أَنَّهُ لَا يُشْتَرَطُ كَوْنُهُ مُسْلِمًا صَحِيحًا طَائِعًا عَامِدًا فَيَقَعُ طَلَاقُ الْعَبْدِ وَالسَّكْرَانِ بِسَبَبٍ مَحْظُورٍ وَالْكَافِرِ وَالْمَرِيضِ وَالْمُكْرَهِ وَالْهَازِلِ وَالْمُخْطِئِ

[2] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 250, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ أَوْ لَمْ يَنْوِ شَيْئًا) لِمَا مَرَّ أَنَّ الصَّرِيحَ لَا يَحْتَاجُ إلَى النِّيَّةِ، وَلَكِنْ لَا بُدَّ فِي وُقُوعِهِ قَضَاءً وَدِيَانَةً مِنْ قَصْدِ إضَافَةِ لَفْظِ الطَّلَاقِ إلَيْهَا عَالِمًا بِمَعْنَاهُ وَلَمْ يَصْرِفْهُ إلَى مَا يَحْتَمِلُهُ

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 296-297, Darul Fikr:

بَابُ الْكِنَايَاتِ (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

[3] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 280, Darul Fikr:

لَوْ قَالَ: أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ مِرَارًا تَطْلُقُ ثَلَاثًا إنْ كَانَ مَدْخُولًا بِهَا

Surah Al-Baqarah 230:

{ 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 ۞}

Sahih Al-Bukhari 2639:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ رِفَاعَةَ الْقُرَظِيِّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ رِفَاعَةَ فَطَلَّقَنِي فَأَبَتَّ طَلاَقِي، فَتَزَوَّجْتُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ الزَّبِيرِ، إِنَّمَا مَعَهُ مِثْلُ هُدْبَةِ الثَّوْبِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ أَتُرِيدِينَ أَنْ تَرْجِعِي إِلَى رِفَاعَةَ لاَ حَتَّى تَذُوقِي عُسَيْلَتَهُ وَيَذُوقَ عُسَيْلَتَكِ ‏”‏‏‏