3rd October 2016
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: A man divorced his wife by giving one Talaq-e-Bain (an irrevocable divorce) on the 18th of September and thereafter pronounced another two automatic divorces to occur on the 18th of every month in the same session. What is the Islamic ruling regarding such divorce?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your divorce query, her husband divorcing her thrice by attaching a single divorce to the 18th of each month results in her being divorced thrice irrevocably instantly which means that they can no longer reunite as former couples during her waiting period and neither thereafter.[1] It will be presumed here that the three divorces have already occurred except that the effectiveness of the remaining two will be postponed to the specific dates. Even if the husband wishes to withdraw from his pronunciation of the divorces before their occurrence then he cannot.
Issuing a Talāq-e-Bain (irrevocable divorce)[2] first, however, does not prevent the remaining two divorces taking into effect during her Iddah period. According to the standard principle explained by the Hanafi jurists, clear (Sareeh) divorce issued after a Talāq Ba’in becomes attached with a Ba’in (as in the subsequent divorces still counts).[3] In other words when the husband issued a Talāq-e-Bain (which instantly terminates the marriage) and thereafter during her Iddah issued a second clear divorce then they will be attached with the former Talāq-e-Bain except that this divorce results in an irrevocable divorce.[4] And now by attaching a third divorce then by the end of her waiting period, she becomes divorced thrice.
As a side note, it must be remembered that Islam has given the husband the right to divorce up to three after which there is no possibility of re-joining. Scholars explain that the chances of three divorces mean that when he gives one (and then withdraws) then only two chances remain and if he gives two (and withdraws) then only one divorce remains after which the marriage now becomes irreconcilable.[5] In the above case, attaching a divorce to the specific date of every month renders each of them effective, resulting in all three divorces being used up at the end irrespective of the type of divorce issued.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Ibn Nujaim, Bahr Raiq Kitāb Talāq Fasl Izafatut Talāq ila Zamān, p. 466 vol 3
وَفِي الذَّخِيرَةِ: الْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ الطَّلَاقَ إذَا أُضِيفَ إلَى وَقْتٍ لَا يَقَعُ مَا لَمْ يَجِئْ ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتُ، وَإِنْ أُضِيفَ الْوَقْتُ إلَى الطَّلَاقِ وَقَعَ لِلْحَالِ، وَتَوْضِيحُهُ فِيهَا وَقَيَّدَ بِقَوْلِهِ غَدًا لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ قَالَ: أَنْت طَالِقٌ لَا بَلْ غَدًا طَلُقَتْ السَّاعَةَ وَاحِدَةً، وَفِي الْغَدِ أُخْرَى كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ مَعْزِيًّا إلَى أَبِي يُوسُفَ
Ibn Nujaim, Bahr Raiq Kitāb Talāq Bābul Kinayāt fi Talāq, p. 536 vol 3
وَالْمُعَلَّقُ بِالشَّرْطِ كَالْمُنَجَّزِ عِنْدَ وُجُودِهِ فَكَأَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي الْعِدَّة أَنْت طَالِقٌ بَائِنٌ وَلَوْ قَالَهُ وَقَعَ بِخِلَافِ أَنْتِ بَائِنٌ مُنْجَزًا فِي عِدَّةِ الْمُبَانَةِ لِأَنَّهُ صِفَةٌ لِلْمَرْأَةِ وَهِيَ لَمْ تَكُنْ مَحَلَّهُ لِأَنَّ مَحَلَّهُ مَنْ قَامَ بِهِ الِاتِّصَالُ، وَقَدْ انْقَطَعَتْ الْوَصْلَةُ بِالْإِبَانَةِ، وَالْمُضَافُ كَالْمُعَلَّقِ حَتَّى لَوْ قَالَ لَهَا أَنْت بَائِنٌ غَدًا نَاوِيًا الطَّلَاقَ ثُمَّ أَبَانَهَا ثُمَّ جَاءَ الْغَدُ وَقَعَتْ أُخْرَى
Ibn Abideen As-Shami Kitāb Talāq, Idhafatut Talāq ila Zamān, p.486 vol 4
(قَوْلُهُ أَوْ كُلَّ جُمُعَةٍ) مَحَلُّهُ مَا إذَا نَوَى كُلَّ جُمُعَةٍ تَمُرُّ بِأَيَّامِهَا عَلَى الدَّهْرِ أَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ نِيَّةٌ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ نِيَّتُهُ عَلَى كُلِّ يَوْمِ جُمُعَةٍ فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمِ جُمُعَةٍ حَتَّى تَبِينَ بِثَلَاثٍ ط عَنْ الْبَحْرِ. وَحَاصِلُهُ إنْ نَوَى بِالْجُمُعَةِ الْأُسْبُوعَ أَوْ أَطْلَقَ فَوَاحِدَةٌ، وَإِنْ نَوَى الْيَوْمَ الْمَخْصُوصَ فَثَلَاثٌ لِوُجُودِ الْفَاصِلِ بَيْنَ الْأَيَّامِ كَمَا يَتَّضِحُ قَرِيبًا ً
[2] A Tālaq-e-Bain is an irrevocable divorce whereby when the husband issues, it breaks the marriage instantly except that the wife must still observe her divorce period.
[3] Ibn Nujaim, Bahr Raiq Kitāb Talāq Bābul Kinayāt fi Talāq, p. 531 vol 3
(قَوْلُهُ: وَالصَّرِيحُ يَلْحَقُ الصَّرِيحَ، وَالْبَائِنَ) فَلَوْ قَالَ لَهَا: أَنْت طَالِقٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَنْت طَالِقٌ أَوْ طَلَّقَهَا عَلَى مَالِ وَقَعَ الثَّانِي وَكَذَا لَوْ قَالَ لَهَا: أَنْت بَائِنٌ أَوْ خَالَعَهَا عَلَى مَالٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهَا: أَنْت طَالِقٌ أَوْ هَذِهِ طَالِقٌ كَمَا فِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ يَقَعُ عِنْدَنَا لِحَدِيثِ الْخُدْرِيِّ مُسْنَدًا «الْمُخْتَلِعَةُ يَلْحَقُهَا صَرِيحُ الطَّلَاقِ مَا دَامَتْ فِي الْعِدَّةِ» وَلِمَا ذُكِرَ فِي الْأُصُولِ مِنْ بَحْثِ الْخَاصِّ أَطْلَقَهُ فَشَمِلَ الْمُنَجَّزَ، وَالْمُعَلَّقَ إذَا وُجِدَ شَرْطٌ فَكَمَا يَقَعُ فِي الْعِدَّةِ مُنْجَزًا يَقَعُ إذَا وُجِدَ شَرْطٌ فِيهَا.
Ibn Nujaim, Bahr Raiq Kitāb Talāq Bābul Kinayāt fi Talāq, p. 533 vol 3
قَوْلُهُ: وَالْبَائِنُ يَلْحَقُ الصَّرِيحَ) كَمَا إذَا قَالَ لَهَا: أَنْت طَالِقٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهَا فِي الْعِدَّةِ أَنْت بَائِنٌ أَطْلَقَهُ فَشَمِلَ مَا إذَا خَالَعَهَا أَوْ طَلَّقَهَا عَلَى مَالٍ بَعْدَ الطَّلَاقِ الرَّجْعِيِّ فَيَصِحُّ وَيَجِبُ الْمَالُ كَمَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ
[4] Ibn Nujaim, Bahr Raiq Kitāb Talāq Bābul Kinayāt fi Talāq, p. 533 vol 3, Ibn Abideen As-Shami Kitāb Talāq, Bābul Kinayāt, p.540 vol 4
وَإِذَا لَحِقَ الصَّرِيحُ الْبَائِنَ كَانَ بَائِنًا لِأَنَّ الْبَيْنُونَةَ السَّابِقَةَ عَلَيْهِ تَمْنَعُ الرَّجْعَةَ كَمَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ
[5] Ahsanul Fatawa, Kitāb at-Talāq p.158 vol 5