4th August 2022
Question: I am enquiring about a friend who was a revert. She got married but after she got married her faith got weak and left Islām. She returned back to Islām a few weeks later and became a Muslim again. She is now wanting to return to her husband in the next month but after returning back to Islām, she started to talk to other men in sexual ways within the three months period which she now regrets. My questions are;
- What is the status of her marriage? Must her Nikāh be renewed or not?
- Can she still marry her previous husband even though she was talking to other men after returning back to Islām?
- Is waiting period necessary upon her and if so, can he marry her within the three-month period or after her waiting period?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In regards to your query, the adopted stance and the general position in the Hanafi tradition is that apostasy instantly dissolves the marriage, which means that no form of conjugal relationship between them is permissible simply because in this case Islām and disbelief cannot co-exist in the same marriage. Apostasy is an act of rebellion that nullifies all deeds and action including marriage except that the jurists have mentioned that she is still entitled to the full mahr if the wife’s apostasy occurred after the marriage was consummated but not before that. As a result of the wife’s apostasy, her marriage to someone else will not be permitted either due to the severity of the crime and therefore must be convinced to return back to Islām and reunite with her former husband. [1] You mentioned that she repented and returned back to Islām, then her Nikāh must be renewed with her former husband with a new mahr regardless of how many times she apostates.[2] Despite that she conversed with other men inappropriately after returning back to Islām, this does not prevent her from returning back to her husband. She must however sincerely repent from her sin and adopt all necessary precautions to safeguard her faith ensuring that this does not happen again.
Despite her apostasy, waiting period is still mandated on her as this affects the legal ruling of providing maintenance and accommodation. Usually where post-divorce grace period is not mandated then expenses and accommodation do not apply (for instance husband divorcing his wife without consummation or valid seclusion). In the case of her apostasy, waiting period would apply if the marriage was consummated that is because she is still entitled to accommodation until her Iddah expires. She will not eligible to financial maintenance however due to her disobedience.[3] If she returned back to Islām during her three menses waiting period, she can renew her Nikāh with her former husband during her waiting period.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written and researched by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, vol 4 p. 253
[مَطْلَبٌ الْمَعْصِيَةُ تَبْقَى بَعْدَ الرِّدَّةِ]
(قَوْلُهُ وَلَيْسَ لِلْمُرْتَدَّةِ التَّزَوُّجُ بِغَيْرِ زَوْجِهَا) فِي كَافِي الْحَاكِمِ: وَإِنْ لَحِقَتْ بِدَارِ الْحَرْبِ كَانَ لِزَوْجِهَا أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ أُخْتَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا، فَإِنْ سُبِيَتْ أَوْ عَادَتْ مُسْلِمَةً لَمْ يَضُرَّ ذَلِكَ نِكَاحَ الْأُخْتِ وَكَانَتْ فَيْئًا إنْ سُبِيَتْ وَتُجْبَرُ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَإِنْ عَادَتْ مُسْلِمَةً كَانَ لَهَا أَنْ تَتَزَوَّجَ مِنْ سَاعَتِهَا. وَظَاهِرُهُ أَنَّ لَهَا التَّزَوُّجَ بِمَنْ شَاءَتْ،
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Nikāh, vol 1, p. 339
[الْبَابُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي نِكَاحِ الْكُفَّارِ]
ارْتَدَّ أَحَدُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ وَقَعَتْ الْفُرْقَةُ بِغَيْرِ طَلَاقٍ فِي الْحَالِ قَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ وَبَعْدَهُ ثُمَّ إنْ كَانَ الزَّوْجُ هُوَ الْمُرْتَدُّ فَلَهَا كُلُّ الْمَهْرِ إنْ دَخَلَ بِهَا وَنِصْفُهُ إنْ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ بِهَا وَإِنْ كَانَتْ هِيَ الْمُرْتَدَّةُ فَلَهَا كُلُّ الْمَهْرِ إنْ دَخَلَ بِهَا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ بِهَا فَلَا مَهْرَ لَهَا
Kasān, Badā’i Sanāi, Kitāb al-Nikāh, vol 2 p. 337
[فَصْلٌ بَيَانُ مَا يَرْفَعُ حُكْمَ النِّكَاحِ]
وَمِنْهَا رِدَّةُ أَحَدِ الزَّوْجَيْنِ؛ لِأَنَّ الرِّدَّةَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَوْتِ؛ لِأَنَّهَا سَبَبٌ مُفْضٍ إلَيْهِ، وَالْمَيِّتُ لَا يَكُونُ مَحَلًّا لِلنِّكَاحِ، وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَجُزْ نِكَاحُ الْمُرْتَدِّ لِأَحَدٍ فِي الِابْتِدَاءِ، فَكَذَا فِي حَالِ الْبَقَاءِ؛ وَلِأَنَّهُ لَا عِصْمَةَ مَعَ الرِّدَّةِ، وَمِلْكُ النِّكَاحِ لَا يَبْقَى مَعَ زَوَالِ الْعِصْمَةِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ رِدَّةَ الْمَرْأَةِ تَكُونُ فُرْقَةً بِغَيْرِ طَلَاقٍ بِلَا خِلَافٍ.
It must be noted that soe Hanafi scholars maintain that Her Nikah does not break and remains with her husband. She must however be convinced to return back to Islām. See Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludhyanwi Ahsanul Fatawa, vol 6, p. 361-4, Fatawa Tatarkhaniyyah, vol 4, p. 268.
[2] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, vol 3 p. 194
[بَابُ نِكَاحِ الْكَافِرِ]
(وَارْتِدَادُ أَحَدِهِمَا) أَيْ الزَّوْجَيْنِ (فَسْخٌ) فَلَا يُنْقِصُ عَدَدًا (عَاجِلٌ)
(قَوْلُهُ فَلَا يُنْقِصُ عَدَدًا) فَلَوْ ارْتَدَّ مِرَارًا وَجَدَّدَ الْإِسْلَامَ فِي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ وَجَدَّدَ النِّكَاحَ عَلَى قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ تَحِلُّ امْرَأَتُهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ إصَابَةِ زَوْجٍ ثَانٍ بَحْرٌ عَنْ الْخَانِيَّةِ
Ibn Humām, Fathul Qadeer, Kitāb al-Nikāh, vol 3 p. 428
[بَابُ نِكَاحِ أَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ]
(قَوْلُهُ وَإِذَا ارْتَدَّ أَحَدُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ وَقَعَتْ الْفُرْقَةُ) فِي الْحَالِ (بِغَيْرِ طَلَاقٍ) قَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ، وَبِهِ قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَأَحْمَدُ فِي رِوَايَةٍ، وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَحْمَدُ فِي أُخْرَى قَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ هُوَ كَذَلِكَ، وَأَمَّا بَعْدَهُ فَيُتَوَقَّفُ إلَى انْقِضَاءِ الْعِدَّةِ فَإِنْ جَمَعَهُمَا الْإِسْلَامُ قَبْلَ انْقِضَائِهَا يَسْتَمِرُّ النِّكَاحُ وَإِلَّا تَبَيَّنَ الْفِرَاقُ مِنْ وَقْتِ الرِّدَّةِ. قُلْنَا: هَذِهِ الْفُرْقَةُ لِلتَّنَافِي فَإِنَّ الرِّدَّةَ مُنَافِيَةٌ لِلْعِصْمَةِ مُوجِبَةٌ لِلْعُقُوبَةِ، وَالْمُنَافِي لَا يَحْتَمِلُ التَّرَاخِي، بِخِلَافِ الْإِسْلَامِ فَإِنَّهُ غَيْرُ مُنَافٍ لِلْعِصْمَةِ، هَذَا جَوَابُ ظَاهِرِ الْمَذْهَبِ. وَبَعْضُ مَشَايِخِ بَلْخٍ وَسَمَرْقَنْدَ أَفْتَوْا فِي رِدَّتِهَا بِعَدَمِ الْفُرْقَةِ حَسْمًا لِاحْتِيَالِهَا عَلَى الْخَلَاصِ بِأَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ، وَعَامَّةُ مَشَايِخِ بُخَارَى أَفْتَوْا بِالْفُرْقَةِ وَجَبْرِهَا عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَعَلَى النِّكَاحِ مَعَ زَوْجِهَا الْأَوَّلِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْحَسْمَ بِذَلِكَ يَحْصُلُ، وَلِكُلِّ قَاضٍ أَنْ يُجَدِّدَ النِّكَاحَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِمَهْرٍ يَسِيرٍ وَلَوْ بِدِينَارٍ رَضِيَتْ أَمْ لَا، وَتُعَزَّرُ خَمْسَةً وَسَبْعِينَ، وَلَا تُسْتَرَقُّ الْمُعْتَدَّةُ مَا دَامَتْ فِي دَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ، وَفِي رِوَايَةِ النَّوَادِرِ عَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ تُسْتَرَقُّ، وَهَذَا الْكَلَامُ فِي الْفُرْقَةِ.
[3] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, vol 3 p. 194
(قَوْلُهُ لَوْ ارْتَدَّ) قَيْدٌ فِي قَوْلِهِ وَلِغَيْرِهَا النِّصْفُ إلَخْ (قَوْلُهُ وَعَلَيْهِ نَفَقَةُ الْعِدَّةِ) أَيْ لَوْ مَدْخُولًا بِهَا إذْ غَيْرُهَا لَا عِدَّةَ عَلَيْهَا. وَأَفَادَ وُجُوبَ الْعِدَّةِ سَوَاءٌ ارْتَدَّ أَوْ ارْتَدَّتْ بِالْحَيْضِ أَوْ بِالْأَشْهُرِ لَوْ صَغِيرَةً أَوْ آيِسَةً أَوْ بِوَضْعِ الْحَمْلِ كَمَا فِي الْبَحْرِ
Ibn Nujaym, Bahr Rāiq, vol 3 p. 231
[بَابُ نِكَاحِ الْكَافِرِ]
وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ الْمُؤَلِّفُ وُجُوبَ الْعِدَّةِ عَلَيْهَا وَلَا شَكَّ فِي وُجُوبِهَا قَالَ فِي جَامِعِ الْفُصُولَيْنِ وَتَعْتَدُّ بِثَلَاثِ حِيَضٍ لَوْ حُرَّةً مِمَّنْ تَحِيضُ وَبِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ لَوْ آيِسَةً أَوْ صَغِيرَةً وَبِوَضْعِ الْحَمْلِ لَوْ حَامِلًا لَوْ دَخَلَ سَوَاءٌ ارْتَدَّ أَوْ ارْتَدَّتْ وَلَا نَفَقَةَ لَهَا فِي الْعِدَّةِ وَلَوْ ارْتَدَّ هُوَ لَا تُجْبَرُ الْمَرْأَةُ عَلَى التَّزَوُّجِ اهـ. وَفِي الْخُلَاصَةِ: إذَا ارْتَدَّتْ لَا نَفَقَةَ لَهَا فِي الْعِدَّةِ وَلَهَا السُّكْنَى وَبِهِ يُفْتَى ذَكَرَهُ فِي أَلْفَاظِ التَّكْفِيرِ،