Fatwa No : 87215
The ruling on a divorce given to a second wife due to the first wife’s threat of suicide.

The ruling on a divorce given to a second wife due to the first wife’s threat of suicide.

Respected Muftis and learned scholars, my name is “Bayesh Uluza Mir”. I had married a second wife without informing my first wife. When the first wife came to know about this, there was a fierce argument until she took a knife with the intention of committing suicide. I stopped her with great difficulty. After a day, when I returned home, she started making an uproar again and made a condition that “Either divorce the second wife or I will take my own life”. Then she handed me her son’s mobile phone, dialed the number of the second wife and said, “Write now that you have given her triple talaq”. Under the intense pressure and compulsion of my wife, I wrote these words on the mobile phone: “Bayesh Uluza Mir, I give you triple talaq”, but my heart and my intention were never to divorce. I wrote these words only to save the house from disintegration and further chaos. After that, I approached the local scholars. They said, Go to the Quadhi (judge), I narrated the whole incident to the Quadhi, then he said: You wait, we'll refer the books and do consultations. After three, I went and he replied, “We have referred the books and consulted the scholars, you can live with your second wife”, After that I started living with my second wife, but after some time another scholar said, “Three divorces have taken place, now it is not permissible for you two to live together. In addition, after this incident, my second wife became pregnant. My question is, will the pressure from my wife, “I will take my life”, be considered as a coercion (force) or not? Has my second wife really been divorced three times or not? Please explain and guide me in the light of the Quran and Sunnah with evidence

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the case mentioned, the threat by the first wife to commit suicide if the questioner does not divorce his second wife will not be regarded as *ikrah* (coercion) under Islamic law. This is because *ikrah* refers to a situation where one party forces another person to do or refrain from doing something by issuing a direct threat to kill them or cause the loss of one of their limbs, and where the coercer (the one issuing the threat) is also capable of carrying out that threat.
In the situation described in the question, however, the coercer (the one making the threat) and the coerced (the one being compelled) are not two separate individuals; rather, the wife herself is threatening to end her own life. Therefore, this cannot be termed *ikrah* in Islamic law.
Consequently, when the questioner, named “Bayesh Uluza Mir,” merely on the basis of his wife’s threat of suicide, wrote and sent the words, “I, Bayesh Uluza Mir, give you three divorces,” to his second wife, all three divorces took effect through these words, and *ḥurmat-e-mughallaẓah* (irrevocable prohibition) has been established. Now, reconciliation (rujūʿ) is not possible, nor can they remarry without a valid Islamic *ḥalālah*.
As for the sin committed by remaining together up to now, they should repent sincerely and seek forgiveness, immediately separate from one another, and completely refrain from such unlawful actions in the future. After completing her waiting period (*ʿiddah*), the woman is free to marry elsewhere.

As for the fact that, after the occurrence of the irrevocable divorce, the questioner acted upon the statement of the mentioned Quadhi - judge and, considering his wife lawful, engaged in marital relations with her—although this was unlawful—nevertheless, any pregnancy resulting from this relationship will, according to Islamic law, have its lineage attributed to the questioner himself.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی الدر المختار: ( ویقع طلاق کل زوج بالغ عاقل ) ولو تقدیرا بدائع، لیدخل السکران ( ولو عبدا أو مکرھا ) فإن طلاقہ صحیح لا إقرارہ بالطلاق قد نظم فی النھر مایصح مع الإکراہ فقال: طلاق وإیلاء ظھار ورجعۃ إلخ( کتاب الطلاق، ج: 3، ص: 235، ط: سعید )۔
وفیہ أیضاً: ( ھو لغۃ حمل الإنسان علی ) شئی یکرھہ وشرعاً ( فعل یوجد من المکرہ فیحدث فی المحل معنی یصیر بہ مدفوعا إلی الفعل الذی طلب منہ ) وھو نوعان تام وھو الملجئی بتلف نفس أو عضو أو ضرب مبرح وإلا فناقص وھو غیر المجئی۔
( وشرطہ ) أربعۃ أمور: ( قدرۃ المکرہ علی إیقاع ماھدد بہ سلطانا أو لصا ) أو نحوہ ( و ) الثانی ( خوف المکرہ ) بالفتح ( أی إیقاع ماھدد بہ فی الحال ) بغلبۃ ظنہ لیصیر ملجأ إلخ(کتاب الإکراہ، ج: 5، ص: 129، ط: سعید )۔
وفی الدر: (وإذا وطئت المعتدۃ بشبھۃ) ولو من الطلق (وجبت عدۃ أخری) إلخ۔
وفی الرد تحت: (قولہ بشبھۃ) متعلق بقولہ وطئت، وذلک کالموطوءۃ للزوج فی العدۃ بعد ثلاث بنکاح، وکذا بدونہ إذا قال ظننت أنھا تحل لی أو بعد مأبانھا بألفاط الکنایۃل، وتمامہ فی الفتح إلخ( کتاب الطلاق، باب العدۃ، ج: 3، ص: 518، ط: سعید )
وفی الدر: ( و ) الواطئ ( إن ادعی النسب یثبت فی الأولی ) أی شبھۃ المحل ( لا فی الثانیۃ ) أئ شبھۃ الفعل لتمحضہ زنا ( إلا فی المطلقۃ ثلاثا بشرطہ ) بأن تلد لأقل من سنتین لا لأکثر إلا بدعوۃ کما مر فی بابہ إلخ۔
وفی الرد تحت: (قولہ لتمحضہ زنا ) لأنہ لاشبھۃ ملک فیہ بل سقط الحط لظنہ فضلا من اللہ تعالی، وھو راجع إلیہ أی إلی الوطئ لا إلی المحل فکأن المحل لیس فیہ شبھۃ حل فلایثبت النسب بھذا الوطء ولذا لاتثبت بہ عدۃ لأنہ لاعدۃ من الزنا فتح (إلی قولہ) فقول المصنف بشرطہ لامحل لہ لأن کلامہ فیما إذا ادعی النسب وفیہ یثبت مطلقا کما علمت وھو الذی حررہ الفتح وتبعہ فی البحر إلخ( کتاب الحدود، باب الطء الذی یوجب الحد إلخ، ج: 4، ص: 22۔23، ط: سعید )
وفی الھدایۃ: و إن کان الطلاق ثلاثا فی الحرۃ أو ثنتین فی الأمۃ، لم تحل لہ حتی تنکح زوجا غیرہ نکاحا صحیحا، و یدخل بھا ثم یطلقھا أو یموت عنھا إلخ( کتاب الطلاق، فصل فیما تحل بہ المطلقۃ، ج: 2، ص: 92، ط: مکتبہ انعامیۃ )۔