Fatwa ID: 08066

Answered by: Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar

Question:

I am a pharmacist and I live in Pakistan. I also have a very religious background. I have 3 children and have been married for 8 years. I have been suffering from mental illness for the past year. During that time, I took medicine and got a little better. Then I had my exams; I didn’t sleep for 6 months, sleeping only 2 or 3 hours a day. I was competing for a gold medal. I got the same condition and stronger anger problems due to mental illness. My friends would tell me, “You are mad.” I had speech problems, couldn’t talk clearly. I had memory problems, couldn’t remember anything. Our family has a history of mental illness, like my grandfather, my uncle, my cousins, my aunty all have problems, and they would go mad, hurt themselves or others, and get electrical shocks in the hospital. One day, I was at home, and I fought with my wife over a very small thing. She told me to bring fruits, and I said wait. Then she said, “When you marry another woman, you will do this with us.” Then I got very, very angry. I was not in control of anything. I didn’t have any intention to give talaq. I said 3 talaqs to her, and I have prescriptions from psychiatrists, and my family also accepts that I am an anxiety and depression disorder patient. I was out of my control; my words were not in my control. Does the talaq happen in this mental state or not? Please answer me.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

If you were not in your right mind due to the effects of your mental health disorder or were under the effects of mind-altering medication, then the talaq would be invalid. This is because Islamic law takes into account the mental state of the individual when determining the validity of such actions. However, if you were simply in a state of anger and knew what you were doing, your Talaq will go through, and the Talaq you gave will be irrevocable. You will not be allowed to take your wife back in such a case.

العناية شرح الهداية – بهامش فتح القدير ط الحلبي ٣/‏٤٨٧
[فَصْلٌ وَيَقَعُ طَلَاقُ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ إذَا كَانَ عَاقِلًا بَالِغًا]
فَصْلٌ لَمَّا ذَكَرَ طَلَاقَ السُّنَّةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ الْأَصْلُ وَذَكَرَ مَا يُقَابِلُهُ مِنْ طَلَاقِ الْبِدْعَةِ شَرَعَ فِي بَيَانِ مَنْ يَقَعُ طَلَاقُهُ وَمَنْ لَا يَقَعُ، (وَيَقَعُ طَلَاقُ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ عَاقِلٍ بَالِغٍ دُونَ الصَّبِيِّ وَالْمَجْنُونِ وَالنَّائِمِ لِقَوْلِهِ ﵊: «كُلُّ طَلَاقٍ جَائِزٌ إلَّا طَلَاقَ الصَّبِيِّ وَالْمَجْنُونِ»)

النتف في الفتاوى للسغدي ١/‏٣٤٩ — السغدي (ت ٤٦١)
من يُقَاس طلاقهم على طَلَاق الْمَجْنُون
وَخَمْسَة من الرِّجَال حَالهم كَحال الْمَجْنُون وَالنَّاسِي وطلاقهم طَلَاق عِنْد الْفُقَهَاء جَمِيعًا
احدهم السَّكْرَان فان طَلَاقه طَلَاق وَكَذَلِكَ سَائِر احكامه الا الرِّدَّة فانه اذا ارْتَدَّ فِي سكره لَا تطلق امْرَأَته حَتَّى يصحو فَيُقَال لَهُ انك قد كفرت فِي سكرك فان ثَبت على ذَلِك تطلق امْرَأَته وان ابى فَلَا تطلق وَفِي قَول الشّعبِيّ والمزني والطَّحَاوِي وابي عبد الله الْبَصْرِيّ وَعُثْمَان بن عَفَّان طَلَاق السَّكْرَان لَيْسَ بِطَلَاق وَعند الشَّافِعِي وَمَالك طَلَاق السَّكْرَان طَلَاق
وَالثَّانِي طَلَاق الْمَعْتُوه طَلَاق اذا طلق فِي حَال افاقته

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham