Fatwa ID: 09110
Answered by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
I request guidance regarding a serious matter of divorce.
A husband, married with three children, was attending an event in the United States where he became extremely intoxicated to the point of complete loss of awareness and control. He does not remember anything from that time.
During this state, his wife (who was in Pakistan) called him and asked him to leave the gathering. The conversation became heated, and it is reported that he pronounced divorce three times during the call.
However:
He has no memory of saying this
He had no intention to divorce his wife
He was in a state of complete intoxication and unconsciousness of his actions
After regaining his senses, he was informed of this and is now in deep regret. He is committed to leaving alcohol permanently and sincerely wants to save his marriage.
Kindly advise:
Does the divorce count in this situation?
If yes, is it considered one or three divorces?
Can the couple reconcile, and if so, how?
We also request consideration of the opinion of scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim regarding divorce under complete intoxication.
Jazakum Allahu Khairan
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
According to all four madhabs, divorce issued under the state of intoxication remains valid unless the intoxicant was taken due to necessity (i.e. fear of death) or they were forced to consume the intoxicant. The reason for this ruling is that divorce issued through forbidden means (i.e. willing intoxication) does not invalidate the legal responsibility over one’s words. As these divorces were issued after consuming alcohol of their own accord, in addition to committing a major sin, the pronouncements will be valid regardless of the husband’s intent and lack of memory.[1]
As this pronouncement was made three times, it would be considered three separate valid statements of divorce. As such, the husband has made himself haram upon his wife irrevocably. After a third pronouncement of divorce, a husband cannot renew his nikah until his former wife has entered into a genuine marriage with a different husband and then that marriage naturally ends.[2]
In regards to other opinions, I suggest you seek the scholars who follow these individuals in order to obtain an accurate understanding of their opinion.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
(قَوْلُهُ أَوْ سَكْرَانَ) السُّكْرُ :.. وَأَمَّا تَعْرِيفُهُ عِنْدَهُ فِي غَيْرِ وُجُوبِ الْحَدِّ مِنْ الْأَحْكَامِ فَالْمُعْتَبَرُ فِيهِ عِنْدَهُ اخْتِلَاطُ الْكَلَامِ وَالْهَذَيَانِ كَقَوْلِهِمَا. وَنَقَلَ شَارِحُهُ ابْنُ أَمِيرٍ حَاجٍّ عَنْهُ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ غَالِبُ كَلَامِهِ هَذَيَانًا، فَلَوْ نَصْفُهُ مُسْتَقِيمًا فَلَيْسَ بِسُكْرٍ فَيَكُونُ حُكْمُهُ حُكْمَ الصُّحَاةِ فِي إقْرَارِهِ بِالْحُدُودِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ السَّكْرَانَ فِي الْعُرْفِ مَنْ اخْتَلَطَ جَدُّهُ بِهَزْلِهِ فَلَا يَسْتَقِرُّ عَلَى شَيْءٍ، وَمَالَ أَكْثَرُ الْمَشَايِخِ إلَى قَوْلِهِمَا…
… وَبَيَّنَ فِي التَّحْرِيرِ حُكْمَهُ أَنَّهُ إنْ كَانَ سُكْرُهُ بِطَرِيقٍ مُحَرَّمٍ لَا يُبْطِلُ تَكْلِيفَهُ فَتَلْزَمُهُ الْأَحْكَامُ وَتَصِحُّ عِبَارَتُهُ مِنْ الطَّلَاقِ… لِأَنَّ الْعَقْلَ قَائِمٌ، وَإِنَّمَا عَرَضَ فَوَاتُ فَهْمِ الْخِطَابِ بِمَعْصِيَتِهِ، فَبَقِيَ فِي حَقِّ الْإِثْمِ وَوُجُوبِ الْقَضَاءِ…
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.239, Dār Al-Fiqr)
وَطَلَاقُ السَّكْرَانِ وَاقِعٌ إذَا سَكِرَ مِنْ الْخَمْرِ أَوْ النَّبِيذِ. وَهُوَ مَذْهَبُ أَصْحَابِنَا رَحِمَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ
وَلَوْ أُكْرِهَ عَلَى شُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ أَوْ شَرِبَ الْخَمْرَ لِضَرُورَةٍ وَسَكِرَ وَطَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ كَمَا لَا يَلْزَمُهُ الْحَدُّ لَا يَقَعُ طَلَاقُهُ وَلَا يَنْفُذُ تَصَرُّفُهُ كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.353, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[2]
الرَّجْعَةَ عَلَى زَوْجَتِهِ، وَطَلَاقٌ رَجْعِيٌّ بِالْوَجْهَيْنِ أَيْضًا. اهـ
وَقَدَّمْنَا أَنَّ الطَّلَاقَ الصَّرِيحَ، وَمَا فِي حُكْمِهِ يَعْقُبُ الرَّجْعَةَ… (قَوْلُهُ هِيَ اسْتِدَامَةُ الْمِلْكِ الْقَائِمِ فِي الْعِدَّةِ) أَيْ الرَّجْعَةُ إبْقَاءُ النِّكَاحِ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مَادَامَتْ فِي الْعِدَّةِ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ} [البقرة: ٢٣١] لِأَنَّ الْإِمْسَاكَ اسْتِدَامَةُ الْمِلْكِ الْقَائِمِ لَا إعَادَةُ الزَّائِلِ وقَوْله تَعَالَى {وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ} [البقرة: ٢٢٨] يَدُلُّ عَلَى عَدَمِ اشْتِرَاطِ رِضَاهَا، وَعَلَى اشْتِرَاطِ الْعِدَّةِ إذْ لَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَهَا بَعْلًا، وَالرَّدُّ يَصْدُقُ حَقِيقَةً بَعْدَ انْعِقَادِ سَبَبِ زَوَالِ الْمِلْكِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ زَائِلًا بَعْدُ كَمَا بَعْدَ الزَّوَالِ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.4, pg.54, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
الطَّلَاقُ مَرَّتَانِ ۖ فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ … 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
Qur’an (2:229-230)
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَنْ يَتَرَاجَعَا﴾ [البقرة: ٢٣٠] أَيْ يَتَنَاكَحَا بَعْدَ طَلَاقِ الزَّوْجِ الثَّانِي وَذَا فِي الْحُرِّ وَالْحُرَّةِ
Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.3, pg.97, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)