Fatwa No : 85318
Ruling of Doubt Between One and Two Divorces

Ruling of Doubt Between One and Two Divorces

The husband issued a talaq-e-baʾin (irrevocable divorce), and no new nikah was performed thereafter. Subsequently, he gave one explicit (sarih) divorce. Now the wife does not remember whether this explicit divorce was issued during the ʿiddah of the baʾin divorce or after the completion of that ʿiddah. Initially, the wife used to remember that the explicit divorce was given after the completion of the ʿiddah of the baʾin divorce, but now she is in doubt and is unsure whether the explicit divorce was actually given during the ʿiddah of the baʾin divorce.
In this situation, after performing a new nikah, how many divorces will be counted—one or two?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the given situation, if the wife was initially certain that after the husband issued one irrevocable (baʾin) divorce, the waiting period (ʿiddah) had fully ended before the second divorce was pronounced, but after some time she has now developed doubt as to whether the second explicit divorce may have occurred during the ʿiddah of the first divorce, then merely due to such doubt the second divorce will not be considered effective. Accordingly, if both husband and wife wish to live together with mutual consent, they may do so after performing a renewal of nikah (re-marriage). However, for the future, the husband will have the authority of only two divorces remaining. Therefore, great caution is required in matters relating to divorce.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

وفی الاشباہ و النظائر الیقین لایزال بالشک قولہ ﷺ اذا وجد احدکم فی بطنہ شیءا فشک لعلہ اخرج منہ شیئ ام لا فلایخرجن من المسجد حت یسمع صوتا او یجد ریحا رواہ مسلم (ص : 37 ناشر دار الفکر)
و فی الشامیة : قوله وموسوس) بالكسر ولا يقال بالفتح ولكن موسوس له أو إليه أي تلقى إليه الوسوسة، وقال الليث: الوسوسة حديث النفس، وإنما قيل موسوس لأنه يحدث بما في ضميره وعن الليث لا يجوز طلاق الموسوس الخ ( باب المرتد، ج 4،ص224،ط: سعید)
وفی رد المحتار الصریح یلحق الصریح ویلحق البائن بشرط العدۃ ( ج :3 ص : 306 ناشر سعید )