Fatwa No : 85455
Ruling Concerning Divorce

Ruling Concerning Divorce

What do the respected scholars say regarding this matter: If a man, on 2nd May 2025, recited the Kalimah of Tawhid and then said to his wife, “I give you divorce,” and on the next day he called the girl’s mother and said, “I will divorce your daughter in the morning and send her back,” and a few days later he again told me, “I have divorced you.” Since that time until now, a period of three menstrual cycles has passed, and no reconciliation (rujū‘) has taken place. How many divorces have taken effect upon me? Kindly provide an answer in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the mentioned case, if the husband actually said to his wife on 2nd May 2025 (after reciting the Kalimah of Tawhid) the words: “I give you divorce” and then, a few days later, again said: “I have divorced you,” then through these two utterances two revocable divorces (talaq raj‘i) had taken effect upon his wife. As for the statement: “I will divorce your daughter in the morning and send her back,” this does not constitute an actual divorce, and therefore no additional divorce occurred from these words. Hence, the husband had the right of ruju‘ (reconciliation) during the wife’s waiting period (‘iddah). However, since (as mentioned in the question) the husband did not, in reality, perform ruju‘—whether verbally, by saying “I take you back,” etc., or practically, by resuming conjugal relations—then with the completion of the waiting period, the marital bond has been completely dissolved. The woman is therefore free to marry whomever she wishes. Nevertheless, if both parties agree to reunite, and in reality only two divorces have taken place (and no third divorce has been given apart from the above-mentioned two), then they may lawfully live together again, but only by performing a new nikah—with proper Shar‘i witnesses, a new mahr (dower), and mutual offer and acceptance. It must be noted, however, that the husband will then have only one divorce remaining in the future. Therefore, extreme caution is required regarding divorce matters.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کمافي الدر المختار: (هي استدامة الملك القائم) بلا عوض ما دامت (في العدة) أي عدة الدخول حقيقة الخ (بنحو) متعلق باستدامة (رجعتك) ورددتك ومسكتك بلا نية لأنه صريح (و) بالفعل مع الكراهة (و) تصح (بتزوجها في العدة) به يفتى جوهرةاھ(3/398)۔
وفی الھندیہ: وإذا طلق الرجل امرأته تطليقة رجعية أو تطليقتين فله أن يراجعها في عدتها رضيت بذلك أو لم ترض كذا في الهدايةاھ( 1 /470 ط:ماجدیہ)۔
وفی الفتاوى الهندية: إذا كان الطلاق بائنا دون الثلاث فله أن يتزوجها في العدة وبعد انقضائها وإن كان الطلاق ثلاثا في الحرة وثنتين في الأمة لم تحل له حتى تنكح زوجا غيره نكاحا صحيحا ويدخل بها ثم يطلقها أو يموت عنها كذا في الهداية (1/ 473)۔
وفی العقود الدرية في تنقيح الفتاوى الحامدية: صيغة المضارع لا يقع بها الطلاق إلا إذا غلب في الحال كما صرح به الكمال بن الهمام اھ(1/38)۔