Fatwa ID: 08499

 

 

Answered by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

 

Question:

 

If a husband uttered the first word of talaq to his wife one or two years ago while they still living together and then gave the second talaq via text message one or two years later, and they reconciled and got back together, but he later sent a third talaq via text message—without realising, having completely forgotten that he had already uttered the first talaq one or two years ago—his second talaq was given with the intention of it being a second talaq and with the intention of reconciling. However, after deep reflection, he realised that he might have previously given a verbal talaq.

 

 

Would this be considered revocable or irrevocable? Would the marriage still be valid?

 

 

 

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

 

Answer:

 

This Talaq would be irrevocable, and their marriage is now void. The husband’s forgetfulness at the time of giving the third Talaq is irrelevant [1].

 

If three Talaqs have been issued, then Talaq Mughalladah has occurred, and thus she is Haraam for him. This means he cannot remarry her until she marries someone besides him, consummates the marriage with them, then chooses to divorce them and agrees to remarry him [2].

 

It is precisely for this reason, casually handing out Talaqs as a threat while intending to take them back again, that the maximum of three Talaqs has been stipulated. If one truly wished to remain married, they should have treated Talaq with the seriousness it deserves.

 

 

 

References:

 

[1] Raddul Mukhtar, 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. 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] Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 1, pg. 348, Darul Fikr:

(وَأَمَّا حُكْمُهُ) فَوُقُوعُ الْفُرْقَةِ بِانْقِضَاءِ الْعِدَّةِ فِي الرَّجْعِيِّ وَبِدُونِهِ فِي الْبَائِنِ كَذَا فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ. وَزَوَالُ حِلِّ الْمُنَاكَحَةِ مَتَى تَمَّ ثَلَاثًا كَذَا فِي مُحِيطِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ

 

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 ‏”‏‏‏

 

 

 

 

Only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham