1st September 2020
Question: During an argument with my wife. I said to her “If you want to divorce me, then you say it, you can have my divorces”, she then said “I divorce you”. Does this constitute a divorce?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your case, in Islām the husband who has the authority to divorce also has the authority to delegate it onto his wife to own the divorce provided it is in the same session. For instance, if he said to his wife, divorce yourself and she said in response, I have divorced myself (or anything similar) then the divorce takes into immediate effect.[1]
It must be remembered though that it is the wife upon whom the words of divorce are affected and not the husband. The husband pronounces the divorces whilst the divorces affect her and not vice-versa. It is therefore necessary that she refers to herself when divorcing and not to the husband.[2] Although by giving her the choice of the divorces assumes delegation of the divorces onto her, by her saying ‘I divorce you’ does not take into effect. She must use those divorce against herself, as initially explained in order for the divorces to become effective.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written and researched by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Kasān, Badā’i Sanāi, Kitāb al-Talaq, vol 4 p. 249
[فَصْلٌ فِي قَوْلِهِ أَمْرُكِ بِيَدِكِ]
وَالزَّوْجُ يَمْلِكُ التَّطْلِيقَ بِنَفْسِهِ فَيَمْلِكُ تَمْلِيكَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ فَصَارَتْ مَالِكَةً لِلطَّلَاقِ بِتَمْلِيكِ الزَّوْجِ، وَجَوَابُ التَّمْلِيكِ مُقَيَّدٌ بِالْمَجْلِسِ؛ لِأَنَّ الزَّوْجَ يَمْلِكُ الْخِطَابَ، وَكُلُّ مَخْلُوقٍ خَاطَبَ غَيْرَهُ يَطْلُبُ جَوَابَ خِطَابِهِ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ فَيَتَقَيَّدُ جَوَابُ التَّمْلِيكِ بِالْمَجْلِسِ كَمَا فِي قَبُولِ الْبَيْعِ وَغَيْرِهِ
Sarakhsi, al-Mabsoot, Kitāb al-Talaq, vol 6 p. 233-4
[بَابُ الْمَشِيئَةِ فِي الطَّلَاقِ]
وَلَوْ قَالَ لَهَا طَلِّقِي نَفْسَك وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ مَشِيئَةً فَذَلِكَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَشِيئَةِ لَهَا ذَلِكَ مَادَامَ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَمْلِيكٌ لِلْإِيقَاعِ مِنْهَا……
فَإِنْ طَلَّقَتْ نَفْسَهَا ثَلَاثًا وَقَالَ الزَّوْجُ أَرَدْت ثَلَاثًا فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ ثَلَاثًا؛ لِأَنَّ قَوْلَهُ طَلِّقِي نَفْسَك تَفْوِيضٌ وَلِهَذَا جَعَلْنَاهُ تَمْلِيكًا لِلْأَمْرِ مِنْهَا عَلَى مَعْنَى أَنَّهُ فَوَّضَ إلَيْهَا
[2] Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al- Talaq, vol 1, p. 424
[الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي تَفْوِيضِ الطَّلَاقِ وَفِيهِ ثَلَاثَةُ فُصُولٍ]
[الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الِاخْتِيَارِ]
وَفِي الْمُحِيطِ لَا بُدَّ مِنْ ذِكْرِ النَّفْسِ أَوْ التَّطْلِيقَةِ أَوْ الِاخْتِيَارِ فِي أَحَدِ الْكَلَامَيْنِ لِوُقُوعِ الطَّلَاقِ بِأَنْ قَالَ الزَّوْجُ اخْتَارِي نَفْسَك أَوْ اخْتَارِي تَطْلِيقَةً أَوْ اخْتَارِي اخْتِيَارَةً أَوْ قَالَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ اخْتَرْت نَفْسِي أَوْ اخْتَرْت تَطْلِيقَةً أَوْ اخْتِيَارَةً وَقَعَ الطَّلَاقُ بِذَلِكَ.
Durrul Mukhtar, Kitab Talaq, vol 3, p. 230
ومحله المنكوحة) وأهله زوج عاقل بالغ مستيقظ)