Fatwa ID: 07676

Answered by Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar

Question:

As Salaamu Alaikum.

I gave my wife one Talāq and then I took her back before completing her Iddah.  After one year, I gave her one Talāq again. But I think it will count as the first Talāq because I took her back and we continued one year of married life. And my intention was 100% as the first Talāq of the three Talāqs.

Later I took her back again before her Iddah finished.  Now I am worried, will it count as the second Talāq? I mean after one Talāq, I revoked it. Then after one or more years, if I want to divorce my wife, do I have to do three Talāqs with three Iddahs again, or if I already had given one Talāq one year before, do I have two Talāq left? But the second time I didn’t know if my intention was for the 1st Talāq.

Please let me know.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

Taking your wife back after her ‘Iddah doesn’t reset the count of Talaqs. Therefore, the second Talaq counts as the second Talaq, regardless of your intention. You must be very careful when giving Talaq like this. If you give Talaq to your wife one more time, your marriage will be irrevocably broken, meaning that you won’t be able to take your wife back even if it’s during the ‘Iddah. 

Talaq is one of the most disliked permissible actions to Allah (swt) and should be avoided as much as possible. Giving your wife Talaq just to scare her, or without a good reason isn’t good as it will damage your relationship greatly.

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

References:

المحيط البرهاني ٣/‏٢٩٦

وإن نوى الرجوع عن المشيئة، صحّت نيّته فيما بينه (٢٥١ أ١) وبين ربّه؛ لأنّه نوى ما يحتمله. ولهذا لو صرح به يصح، فإذا شاءت الأولى طلاقها طلقت الأولى فيما بينه وبين ربّه. وإن شاءت الأخرى طلاق الأولى طلقت الأولى بنيته، وإن شاءت الأولى طلاق الأخرى طلقت الأخرى في القضاء، لا فيما بينه وبين الله تعالى.

واستشهد محمد ﵀ لإيضاح مسألة المشيئة أنَّ قوله: لا بل هذه. على الطلاق خاصة، بما لو قال لها أنت طالق إن شاء الله لا بل هذه كان قوله: لا بل هذه على الطلاق خاصة، ويصير تقدير المسألة، كأنّه قال: أنتِ طالق، لا بل هذه إن شاء الله

مجمع الأنهر في شرح ملتقى الأبحر ١/‏٣٨٤ 

(وَيَقَعُ طَلَاقُ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ عَاقِلٍ بَالِغٍ) حُرٍّ، أَوْ عَبْدٍ (وَلَوْ) كَانَ الزَّوْجُ (مُكْرَهًا) فَإِنَّ طَلَاقَهُ صَحِيحٌ لَا إقْرَارَهُ بِالطَّلَاقِ لِأَنَّ الْإِقْرَارَ خَبَرٌ مُحْتَمِلٌ لِلصِّدْقِ وَالْكَذِبِ وَقِيَامُ آلَةِ الْإِكْرَاهِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ يُرَجِّحُ جَانِبَ الْكَذِبِ، وَكَذَا اللَّاعِبُ وَالْهَازِلُ بِالطَّلَاقِ.