10th October 2023
Question: Me and my wife were arguing and in a fit of rage, I pronounced You are Talaq’. I then added ‘here you go, you are divorced and it’s not over’ and repeated it again. The intention was to give one divorce only and the second and third time was to merely to reiterate that she is divorced, referring to the first divorce and not to pronounce multiple divorces as I am aware that issuing three divorces is not permissible. Kindly confirm whether only one divorce has occurred or three.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Concerning your case in question, if what you have said is true to its very nature and you only intended one divorce and the subsequent mentioning were meant to inform and reiterate the initial divorce then diyanatan (ethically; a personal matter between you and Allāh) your statement will be valid and only one divorce will count but qadha’an (judicially) it will count as multiple divorces.[1] In the case where it is classed as one divorce then you have the option to reconcile the marriage or to leave her to complete here waiting period. It begs the question whether your wife agrees to this or not. In such circumstances, the husband’s intention generally matters but if the wife heard three divorces and believes that three divorces have occurred then she must separate from you.[2] If she is unsure herself then the husband’s intention will count.
[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, Kitāb Talāq, vol 9 p. 296-297
مَطْلَبٌ الطَّلَاقُ يَقَعُ بِعَدَدٍ قُرِنَ بِهِ لَا بِهِ
كَرَّرَ لَفْظَ الطَّلَاقِ وَقَعَ الْكُلُّ، وَإِنْ نَوَى التَّأْكِيدَ دِينَ
(قَوْلُهُ كَرَّرَ لَفْظَ الطَّلَاقِ) بِأَنْ قَالَ لِلْمَدْخُولَةِ: أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَوْ قَدْ طَلَّقْتُكِ قَدْ طَلَّقْتُكِ أَوْ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ قَدْ طَلَّقْتُك أَوْ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ وَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ، وَإِذَا قَالَ: أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ ثُمَّ قِيلَ لَهُ مَا قُلْتُ؟ فَقَالَ: قَدْ طَلَّقْتُهَا أَوْ قُلْتُ هِيَ طَالِقٌ فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ وَاحِدَةً لِأَنَّهُ جَوَابٌ، كَذَا فِي كَافِي الْحَاكِمِ (قَوْلُهُ وَإِنْ نَوَى التَّأْكِيدَ دِينَ) أَيْ وَوَقَعَ الْكُلُّ قَضَاءً، وَكَذَا إذَا طَلَّقَ أَشْبَاهَ: أَيْ بِأَنْ لَمْ يَنْوِ اسْتِئْنَافًا وَلَا تَأْكِيدًا لِأَنَّ الْأَصْلَ عَدَمُ التَّأْكِيدِ (قَوْلُهُ وَإِلَّا لَا) أَيْ بِأَنْ قَصَدَ النِّدَاءَ أَوْ أَطْلَقَ فَلَا يَقَعُ عَلَى الْمُعْتَمَدِ
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb Kitāb Talāq, vol 1, p. 390
الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الطَّلَاقِ الصَّرِيحِ
رَجُلٌ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ عَنَيْت بِالْأُولَى الطَّلَاقَ وَبِالثَّانِيَةِ وَالثَّالِثَةِ إفْهَامَهَا صُدِّقَ دِيَانَةً وَفِي الْقَضَاءِ طَلُقَتْ ثَلَاثًا كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ
مَتَى كَرَّرَ لَفْظَ الطَّلَاقِ بِحَرْفِ الْوَاوِ أَوْ بِغَيْرِ حَرْفِ الْوَاوِ يَتَعَدَّدُ الطَّلَاقُ وَإِنْ عَنَى بِالثَّانِي الْأَوَّلَ لَمْ يُصَدَّقْ فِي الْقَضَاءِ كَقَوْلِهِ يَا مُطَلَّقَةٌ أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ أَوْ طَلَّقْتُك أَنْتِ طَالِقٌ وَلَوْ ذَكَرَ الثَّانِيَ بِحَرْفِ التَّفْسِيرِ وَهُوَ حَرْفُ الْفَاءِ لَا تَقَعُ أُخْرَى إلَّا بِالنِّيَّةِ كَقَوْلِهِ طَلَّقْتُك فَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ كَذَا فِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ.
Fatawa Mahmodiyyah, Ch. Talaq Sareeh, vol 12, pp. 280 and 342
[2] Ibn Nujaym, Bahr Rāiq, Kitāb Talāq, vol 3, p. 277
بَابُ أَلْفَاظُ الطَّلَاقِ
وَالْمَرْأَةُ كَالْقَاضِي إذَا سَمِعَتْهُ أَوْ أَخْبَرَهَا عَدْلٌ لَا يَحِلُّ لَهَا تَمْكِينُهُ هَكَذَا اقْتَصَرَ الشَّارِحُونَ وَذَكَرَ فِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ وَذَكَرَ الْأُوزْجَنْدِيُّ أَنَّهَا تَرْفَعُ الْأَمْرَ إلَى الْقَاضِي فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا بَيِّنَةٌ يُحَلِّفُهُ فَإِنْ حَلَفَ فَالْإِثْمُ عَلَيْهِ
Sarakhsi, al-Mabsoot, Kitāb Talāq, vol 6, p. 82
بَابُ مَا تَقَعُ بِهِ الْفُرْقَةُ مِمَّا يُشْبِهُ الطَّلَاقَ
وَكُلُّ مَا لَا يُدَيِّنُهُ الْقَاضِي فِيهِ فَكَذَلِكَ الْمَرْأَةُ إذَا سَمِعَتْ مِنْهُ أَوْ شَهِدَ بِهِ شَاهِدَا عَدْلٍ لَا يَسَعُهَا أَنْ تُدَيِّنَ الزَّوْجَ فِيهِ لِأَنَّهَا لَا تَعْرِفُ مِنْهُ إلَّا الظَّاهِرَ كَالْقَاضِي.