Fatwa ID: 08544
Answered by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Question:
My wife and I have decided to divorce and would like to understand our rights and entitlements in regard to our jointly owned house. My wife is currently in iddah, which is due to finish end of the month.
The equity share we both own is currently at just over 50%, with myself owning approx 70% of that, due to my monthly contributions. We would also like to clarify matters regarding child maintenance, as we have two young children.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Allah (swt) says: “O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains of interest if you are believers And if you do not, then be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger. And if you repent, then for you is your capital. Do not wrong and you will not be wronged ” Surah Baqarah (2:278-9)
Firstly, I would like to remind you that Allah (swt) has forbidden usury (riba). It is not only a major sin, but also has severe consequences. You should make all efforts into leaving your mortgage as soon as possible by transferring your debt to a halal option.[1]
Home ownership and asset division between spouses at the time of divorce is distributed according to agreements and ownership. If the spouses had agreed to joint ownership of the property, it should have been made clear at the time how much of a share each person had and whether any extra payment from either side would be considered a gift or loan. If this was not done, then the share of the house would be according to how much each spouse contributed.
In a situation where there was an agreement made beforehand that the ownership would be according to a specified ratio, then this agreement should be honoured and the house should then be distributed according to these ratios. In this situation, contributions would not be considered and if one side made payments on behalf of the other, it should have been made clear at the time as to whether the payments were a gift or loan to the other party. Any loans would need to be paid back.
From what you have stated, I assume that your wife contributed to approximately 30% of the property and you had contributed 70%. In the case where no agreement had been made beforehand, then when the house is sold the equity and profit should be given in this proportion, where you receive 70% and your former wife receives 30%.[2]
As for maintenance after divorce, it is the father’s responsibility for providing maintenance for his children regardless of the mother’s monetary situation, even during her custody. Maintenance for a son is until maturity or until he can provide for himself, and for a daughter it is until she is married. The father must also provide shelter for both the mother and children if they have no shelter whilst they are in the mother’s custody.[3]
References:
[1] يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ﴾
Qur’an (2:278-9)
كُلُّ قَرْضٍ جَرَّ نَفْعًا حَرَامٌ فَكُرِهَ لِلْمُرْتَهِنِ سُكْنَى الْمَرْهُونَةِ بِإِذْنِ الرَّاهِنِ.
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.5, pg.166, Dār Al-Fiqr)
… وَالْفِضَّةُ بِالْفِضَّةِ مِثْلًا بِمِثْلٍ يَدًا بِيَدٍ، وَالْفَضْلُ رِبًا، وَالذَّهَبُ بِالذَّهَبِ مِثْلًا بِمِثْلٍ يَدًا بِيَدٍ، وَالْفَضْلُ رِبًا» أَيْ: بِيعُوا الْحِنْطَةَ بِالْحِنْطَةِ مِثْلًا بِمِثْلٍ يَدًا بِيَدٍ.
Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.5, pg.183, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)
فَيَكُونُ رِبًا كَمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى آخَرَ أَلْفُ دِرْهَمٍ فَصَالَحَهُ عَلَى أَلْفٍ وَخَمْسِمِائَةٍ، أَنَّ الصُّلْحَ يَكُونُ بَاطِلًا كَذَا هَذَا، وَهَذَا عَلَى أَصْلِهِمَا مُطَّرِدٌ؛ لِأَنَّ عِنْدَهُمَا أَنَّ مَنْ أَتْلَفَ عَلَى آخَرَ مَا لَا مِثْلَ لَهُ، أَوْ غَصَبَ مِنْهُ مَا لَا مِثْلَ لَهُ فَهَلَكَ فِي يَدِهِ
Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.4, pg.90, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)
[2] … وَالنَّفَقَةُ الْوَاجِبَةُ الْمَأْكُولُ وَالْمَلْبُوسُ وَالسُّكْنَى
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.548-9, Dār Al-Fiqr)
وَبِهَذَا ظَهَرَ أَنَّهُ لَا مُنَافَاةَ بَيْنَ قَوْلِهِمْ أَنَّ مَعْنَاهُ الْمُبَادَلَةُ وَبَيْنَ قَوْلِهِمْ أَنَّ رُكْنَهُ الْإِيجَابُ وَالْقَبُولُ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.5, pg.278, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
هِيَ لُغَةً التَّفَضُّلُ عَلَى الْغَيْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُهُ وَلَوْ غَيْرَ مَالٍ وَاصْطِلَاحًا مَا أَشَارَ إلَيْهِ الْمُصَنِّفُ (قَوْلُهُ هِيَ تَمْلِيكُ الْعَيْنِ بِلَا عِوَضٍ) فَخَرَجَتْ الْإِبَاحَةُ وَالْعَارِيَّةُ وَالْإِجَارَةُ وَالْبَيْعُ وَهِبَةُ الدَّيْنِ مِمَّنْ عَلَيْهِ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.7, pg.284, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
فَصْلٌ فِي الْقَرْضِ (هُوَ) لُغَةً: مَا تُعْطِيهِ لِتَتَقَاضَاهُ، وَشَرْعًا: مَا تُعْطِيهِ مِنْ مِثْلِيٍّ لِتَتَقَاضَاهُ وَهُوَ أَخْصَرُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ (عَقْدٌ مَخْصُوصٌ) أَيْ بِلَفْظِ الْقَرْضِ وَنَحْوِهِ (يَرِدُ عَلَى دَفْعِ مَالٍ) بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْجِنْسِ (مِثْلِيٍّ) خَرَجَ الْقِيَمِيُّ (لِآخَرَ لِيَرُدَّ مِثْلَهُ) خَرَجَ نَحْوُ وَدِيعَةٍ وَهِبَةٍ.
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.5, pg.161, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[3] (وَالْحَاضِنَةُ) أُمًّا، أَوْ غَيْرَهَا (أَحَقُّ بِهِ) أَيْ بِالْغُلَامِ حَتَّى يَسْتَغْنِيَ عَنْ النِّسَاءِ وَقُدِّرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَبِهِ يُفْتَى لِأَنَّهُ الْغَالِبُ. وَلَوْ اخْتَلَفَا فِي سِنِّهِ، فَإِنْ أَكَلَ وَشَرِبَ وَلَبِسَ وَاسْتَنْجَى وَحْدَهُ دُفِعَ إلَيْهِ وَلَوْ جَبْرًا وَإِلَّا لَا (وَالْأُمُّ وَالْجَدَّةُ) لِأُمٍّ، أَوْ لِأَبٍ (أَحَقُّ بِهَا) بِالصَّغِيرَةِ (حَتَّى تَحِيضَ) أَيْ تَبْلُغَ فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ. وَلَوْ اخْتَلَفَا فِي حَيْضِهَا فَالْقَوْلُ لِلْأُمِّ بَحْرٌ بَحْثًا.
وَأَقُولُ: يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُحَكَّمَ سِنُّهَا وَيُعْمَلَ بِالْغَالِبِ. وَعِنْدَ مَالِكٍ، حَتَّى يَحْتَلِمَ الْغُلَامُ، وَتَتَزَوَّجَ الصَّغِيرَةُ وَيَدْخُلَ بِهَا الزَّوْجُ عَيْنِيٌّ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.566, Dār Al-Fiqr)
فَعَلَى هَذَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الْأَبِ ثَلَاثَةٌ: أُجْرَةُ الرَّضَاعِ، وَأُجْرَةُ الْحَضَانَةِ، وَنَفَقَةُ الْوَلَدِ اهـ وَمِثْلُهُ فِي الشُّرُنْبُلَالِيَّةِ.
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.561, Dār Al-Fiqr)
سُئِلَ أَبُو حَفْصٍ عَمَّنْ لَهَا إمْسَاكُ الْوَلَدِ وَلَيْسَ لَهَا مَسْكَنٌ مَعَ الْوَلَدِ؟ فَقَالَ: عَلَى الْأَبِ سُكْنَاهُمَا جَمِيعًا.
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.561, Dār Al-Fiqr)
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
