Fatwa ID: 08246
Answered by: Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Question:
Assalamualaikum,
I pray that Allah finds you in the best of health with the grace of Allah SWT. Mufti saab, we would like a response to the query below. Sorry, it’s a bit long but I thought that it would be beneficial to provide you with complete context for you to provide a better response. May Allah reward you and the team for this service to the Ummah.
We have read many questions and responses on this website and especially this one which may be relevant to us:
http://daruliftabirmingham.co.uk/is-a-decree-absolute-considered-to-be-an-islamic-divorce/
Background:
Me and my wife are US citizens. We are currently residents in the UK with our children. My husband and me have decided for him to take another wife, and we mutually agree with that, and both me and my husband do not have a problem with that. However, since we are in a western country, the government does not recognize polygamy, and hence after marriage, my husband cannot bring his wife to live with him, either to the UK or the USA.
In order to overcome this issue, we are thinking of getting a divorce through a “Decree Absolute” (via the UK court system) so my husband can get married again to this other wife and bring her to the country.
I would firstly like to mention that both me and my husband have NO intention to get divorced, and we are planning to carry out this divorce process and get the divorce document only to enable my husband to get married again and bring the second wife to the country.
We plan to do the following (steps):
Wife files petition to Judge/Court online through the “HM Courts & Tribunals Service website.”
Judge/Court sends divorce petition to husband.
Husband does not do anything (no acknowledgment, no receipt, no response, no signature on anything).
Judge/Court issues “Decree Nisi” to both parties.
Judge/Court waits for the waiting period of 6 weeks.
Judge/Court issues Decree Absolute to both parties.
Based on our reading of your response in the 2 links above, we have 2 questions.
We would like to confirm that as per the above plan/steps, since the husband did not respond or engage, and both husband and wife DO NOT have any intention to get divorced, this will NOT constitute an Islamic divorce and the husband and wife will still be married.
As per our case above, carrying out the divorce with NO intention to get divorced, but just to get married to another wife. We want to confirm that by doing this, both the wife and husband will not be sinning for applying for a divorce as there is no intention to apply for divorce.
Answer:
Wa alaikum as salām wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh,
The following are answers to your two questions:
If a wife files for a legal divorce and the husband, fully understanding the divorce papers, signs and gives his clear and absolute consent, then the issuing of the Decree Absolute by the court in this instance constitutes an Islamic Divorce. [1] However, if the husband does not sign any documents or fails to clearly consent to the divorce proceedings, and the court proceeds to grant the divorce on behalf of his wife (against his wishes), this does not constitute a valid Islamic divorce. In other words, technically speaking, the court divorce will not count as a divorce in Islamic law. Therefore, you will remain married Islamically.
If a couple collaborates in using the legal system to fabricate a divorce purely to bypass the rules of marriage and polygamy, this could be problematic in many ways and lead to being sinful. Islam emphasizes honesty and transparency in all actions, especially in important matters such as marriage and divorce. Therefore, engaging in a deceptive act to exploit legal or religious loopholes violates ethical standards. The deception will comprise of acts such as dishonesty and manipulation, which are condemned in Islamic teachings. Furthermore, if your marriage were to truly break down, a Nikah will not provide the same level of legal protection for the first wife as a registered civil ceremony. Thus, this arrangement leaves the first wife vulnerable in terms of her and her children’s rights. [2]
Hence, if a couple agrees for the wife to apply for a divorce without the intention to truly separate but rather to allow the husband to marry another wife under the pretext of being divorced, both could be considered as committing a sin due to the level of deceit involved and the misuse of Islamic teachings.
Furthermore, when a person resides in a country, whether as a permanent or temporary citizen, they implicitly agree to abide by its laws. Shariah emphasizes the importance of adhering to such agreements, provided the laws do not oppose Shariah principles. Thus, breaking such agreements goes against the ethical standards of a true and upright Muslim. The following hadith demonstrates this:
“A Muslim must listen to and obey (the order of his leader) in matters he likes or dislikes, as long as he is not ordered to commit a sin. If ordered to disobey Allah, then there is no listening and no obedience.” [3]
[Muslim-1839]
Please note polygamy is a criminal offense in the UK. Often, people are unaware they are about to commit a criminal offense according to the law of the country. Violating the country’s laws has legal consequences. It also amounts to a sinful act under Islamic law due to the breach of societal agreements and potential harm to others, as mentioned above. [4]
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] (الْفَصْلُ السَّادِسُ فِي الطَّلَاقِ بِالْكِتَابَةِ) الْكِتَابَةُ عَلَى نَوْعَيْنِ مَرْسُومَةٌ وَغَيْرُ مَرْسُومَةٍ وَنَعْنِي بِالْمَرْسُومَةِ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُصَدَّرًا وَمُعَنْوَنًا مِثْلُ مَا يُكْتَبُ إلَى الْغَائِبِ وَغَيْرُ مَوْسُومَةٍ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ مُصَدَّرًا وَمُعَنْوَنًا وَهُوَ عَلَى وَجْهَيْنِ مُسْتَبِينَةٌ وَغَيْرُ مُسْتَبِينَةٍ فَالْمُسْتَبِينَةُ مَا يُكْتَبُ عَلَى الصَّحِيفَةِ وَالْحَائِطِ وَالْأَرْضِ عَلَى وَجْهٍ يُمْكِنُ فَهْمُهُ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ وَغَيْرُ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ مَا يُكْتَبُ عَلَى الْهَوَاءِ وَالْمَاءِ وَشَيْءٍ لَا يُمْكِنُ فَهْمُهُ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ فَفِي غَيْرِ الْمُسْتَبِينَةِ لَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ وَإِنْ نَوَى وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُسْتَبِينَةً لَكِنَّهَا غَيْرُ مَرْسُومَةٍ إنْ نَوَى الطَّلَاقَ يَقَعُ وَإِلَّا فَلَا وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مَرْسُومَةً يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ نَوَى أَوْ لَمْ يَنْوِ ثُمَّ الْمَرْسُومَةُ لَا تَخْلُو أَمَّا إنْ أَرْسَلَ الطَّلَاقَ بِأَنْ كَتَبَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَنْت طَالِقٌ فَكُلَّمَا كَتَبَ هَذَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ وَتَلْزَمُهَا الْعِدَّةُ مِنْ وَقْتِ الْكِتَابَةِ.
ص378 – كتاب الفتاوى العالمكيرية الفتاوى الهندية – الفصل السادس في الطلاق بالكتابة – المكتبة الشاملة
[2] الأصل في الشريعة الإسلامية أنه لا يجوز لأحد أن يفعل فعلا يضر بآخر، فإن أضر بفعله أحدا، فالأصل أنه ضامن، إلا في حالات سيجيء تفصيلها وإن هذا الأصل ثابت بنصوص القرآن والسنة.
ص291 – كتاب بحوث في قضايا فقهية معاصرة – قواعد ومسائل في حوادث المرور – المكتبة الشاملة
[3] عَلَى الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ فِيمَا أَحَبَّ وَكَرِهَ، إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمَرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ، فَإِنْ أُمِرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ، فَلَا سَمْعَ وَلَا طَاعَةَ
[4] (فَإِذَا خَرَجَ جَمَاعَةٌ مُسْلِمُونَ عَنْ طَاعَتِهِ) أَوْ طَاعَةِ نَائِبِهِ الَّذِي رَضِيَ النَّاسُ بِهِ فِي أَمَانٍ دُرَرٌ (وَغَلَبُوا عَلَى بَلَدٍ دَعَاهُمْ إلَيْهِ) أَيْ إلَى طَاعَتِهِ (وَكَشَفَ شُبْهَتَهُمْ) اسْتِحْبَابًا (فَإِنْ تَحَيَّزُوا مُجْتَمِعِينَ حَلَّ لَنَا قِتَالُهُمْ بَدْءًا حَتَّى نُفَرِّقَ جَمْعَهُمْ) إذْ الْحُكْمُ يُدَارُ عَلَى دَلِيلِهِ وَهُوَ الِاجْتِمَاعُ وَالِامْتِنَاعُ (وَمَنْ دَعَاهُ الْإِمَامُ إلَى ذَلِكَ) أَيْ قِتَالِهِمْ (اُفْتُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ إجَابَتُهُ) لِأَنَّ طَاعَةَ الْإِمَامِ فِيمَا لَيْسَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَرْضٌ فَكَيْفَ فِيمَا هُوَ طَاعَةُ بَدَائِعُ (لَوْ قَادِرًا) –
ص264 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – باب البغاة – المكتبة الشاملة
