Fatwa ID: 08930
Answered by Maulana Mohammed Aabu Saeed Miah
Question:
Assalamu alaikum,
My husband said to me during an argument:
“I am ready to give you the divorce” (he intended to threaten me that he could say the divorce, but didn’t intend a divorce on the spot)
“If you want, we can do the divorce”, to which I answered: “Then let’s do it” (Neither of us intended a divorce. He wanted to threaten me, saying he might declare it in the future if I agreed. And he didn’t want to give me the right to divorce either. It was clear to both of us that he didn’t want to give me the right to divorce because if he were to pronounce a divorce, he would formulate it clearly and say it in Arabic (as was the case with our first divorce). With my answer, I didn’t want to get a divorce, but thought that if he said he wanted it and threatened to do so, he could pronounce the divorce.)
Please tell us if these words count as divorce. My husband frequently threatens me with divorce when we fight but he purposely says it this way to not let a divorce happen, but I am unsure now and very anxious that he might have effected a divorce, even though none of us wanted it. In some cases, he might have said similar things to what I have written but I don’t remember them. Can this be a problem for us? I am really afraid that we might already be divorced more than 3 times without wanting it. Please help me, I am desperately looking for an answer as he already said talaq once! BarakAllahu feekum!
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
I understand that the situation you are facing is extremely difficult. I pray Allah Ta’ala grants you ease, Ameen. Talaq is a matter which is not taken lightly in the Sharia’ah. It is such that even if expressed as a joke or a threat, it is effective. [1]
For the effectiveness of Talaq, the details of the expression are taken into consideration.
“I am ready to give you Talaq” = This statement does not give the meaning of a Talaq being issued. It only shows that the husband is taking it into consideration. Therefore, if there was no intention of Talaq then there will be no Talaq. However, if there was intention then Talaq will be in effect.
“If you want, we can do the divorce” = This is a conditional statement of divorce, the ruling for such is that when the condition is met the divorce will come into effect. [2]
In your case you will have to renew the Nikkah according to the facts that you have been given one Talaq already and the conditional Talaq has come into effect do to your agreement to it. However, if previously you have been given anymore explicit Talaqs or conditional ones, then your marriage will be nullified, you must separate, and you cannot re-join.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Mohammed Aabu Saeed Miah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، – يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ – عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَاهَكَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ ثَلاَثٌ جِدُّهُنَّ جِدٌّ وَهَزْلُهُنَّ جِدٌّ النِّكَاحُ وَالطَّلاَقُ وَالرَّجْعَةُ ” .
Sunan Abi Dawud 2194
[2] وَإِذَا كَانَ الْجَزَاءُ فِعْلًا إمَّا فِعْلٌ مُسْتَقْبَلٌ أَوْ فِعْلٌ مَاضٍ فَالْجَزَاءُ يَتَعَلَّقُ بِالشَّرْطِ بِدُونِ حَرْفِ الْفَاءِ وَيُبْتَنَى عَلَى هَذَا الْأَصْلِ مَا إذَا قَالَ لَهَا: إنْ دَخَلْتُ الدَّارَ وَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُقُ لِلْحَالِ وَإِنْ قَالَ: عَنَيْتُ التَّعْلِيقَ لَا يَدِينُ أَصْلًا هَكَذَا ذُكِرَ فِي الْجَامِعِ وَبَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا قَالُوا: يُسْأَلُ الزَّوْجُ كَيْفَ نَوَيْتَ إنْ قَالَ: بِإِضْمَارِ حَرْفِ الْفَاءِ لَا تَصِحُّ نِيَّتُهُ أَصْلًا وَإِنْ كَانَ بِالتَّقْدِيمِ وَالتَّأْخِيرِ تَصِحُّ نِيَّتُهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ – تَعَالَى – وَكَذَلِكَ إذَا قَالَ لَهَا: فَإِنْ دَخَلْتُ الدَّارَ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ تَطْلُقُ لِلْحَالِ. وَإِنْ عَنَى التَّعْلِيقَ دِينَ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ – تَعَالَى – وَكَذَلِكَ إذَا قَالَ لَهَا: أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ وَإِنْ دَخَلْتُ الدَّارَ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُقُ لِلْحَالِ وَإِنْ عَنَى التَّعْلِيقَ لَا يَدِينُ أَصْلًا لَا فِي الْقَضَاءِ وَلَا فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ رَبِّهِ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ مُحَمَّدٌ –
——–
ص420 – كتاب الفتاوى العالمكيرية الفتاوى الهندية – الفصل الثالث في تعليق الطلاق بكلمة إن وإذا وغيرهما - المكتبة الشاملة