My question is whether my relation with my second wife stands divorced or not. What shall I do next?

I got married in 2004 and have a female child of 8 years old in India. While I came for work in Maldives during 2009, I met with a lady who was divorced at that time having 4 adult children. She was 11 years older than me. After hearing her sad story of 18 years of brutal misbehaviour from her Ex-husband, I went for my second marriage to protect her without informing my first wife in India. After 1 year I myself revealed the same to my First wife and she didn’t agree my relation with my second wife. However, I managed with my both wifes all these days one in India and other in Maldives. I have no children with my second wife. During June 2015, while I was in India, my second wife travelled to Delhi(India) while she told me that she was going to SriLanka for a treatment. Since she lied me about her travel I got angry at that time. I found this after she returned and over phone I told her “I dovorce you’. I haven’t met her for the last 9 months and didn’t take it to any legal persons yet. My second wife still wants to live with me but I am confused whether I can admit it. My question is whether my relation with my second wife stands divorced or not. What shall I do next?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

If this was the first talaq issued and no talaqs were issued before or after this then this talaq will constitute a talaq raji (revocable divorce) which implies that the husband can revoke the divorce within the iddah period[1] which is 3 menstrual cycles[2].

However, since you have not revoked the talaq within the iddah period the second wife has become a stranger and  the talaq raji has become a talaq ba`in (irrevocable divorce)[3]. If you wish to reconcile, a new nikah will have to be performed. The previous divorce will not be cancelled. Accordingly, your right of three talaqs will be decreased to two talaqs.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Hafizurrahman Fatehmahomed

Student Darul Iftaa
Netherlands

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

[1]

اللباب في شرح الكتاب (3/ 54)

إذا طلق الرجل امرأته تطليقةً رجعيةً أو تطليقتين فله أن يراجعها في عدتها، رضيت بذلك أو لم ترض.

والرجعة أن يقول: راجعتك، أو راجعت امرأتي، أو يطأها، أو يقبلها، أو يلمسها بشهوةٍ، أو أن ينظر إلى فرجها بشهوةٍ.

ويستحب أن يشهد على الرجعة شاهدين، فإن لم يشهد صحت الرجعة

بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (3/ 183)

وَأَمَّا رُكْنُ الرَّجْعَةِ فَهُوَ قَوْلٌ أَوْ فِعْلٌ يَدُلُّ عَلَى الرَّجْعَةِ: أَمَّا الْقَوْلُ فَنَحْوُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهَا: رَاجَعْتُك أَوْ رَدَدْتُك أَوْ رَجَعْتُك أَوْ أَعَدْتُك أَوْ رَاجَعْت امْرَأَتِي أَوْ رَاجَعْتهَا أَوْ رَدَّدْتهَا أَوْ أَعَدْتهَا، وَنَحْوُ ذَلِكَ؛ لِأَنَّ الرَّجْعَةَ رَدٌّ، وَإِعَادَةٌ إلَى الْحَالَةِ الْأُولَى،

بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (3/ 183)

وَأَمَّا الْفِعْلُ الدَّالُّ عَلَى الرَّجْعَةِ فَهُوَ أَنْ يُجَامِعَهَا أَوْ يَمَسَّ شَيْئًا مِنْ أَعْضَائِهَا لِشَهْوَةٍ أَوْ يَنْظُرَ إلَى فَرْجِهَا عَنْ شَهْوَةٍ أَوْ يُوجَدَ شَيْءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ هَهُنَا عَلَى مَا بَيَّنَّا،

 (كتاب الفتاوي، ج5،ص115)

(فتاوي ديني، ج3، ص503)

 (احسن الفتاوي،ج5،ص152

[2]

فتح القدير للكمال ابن الهمام (4/ 166)

(وَإِذَا انْقَطَعَ الدَّمُ مِنْ الْحَيْضَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ لَعَشْرَةِ أَيَّامٍ انْقَطَعَتْ الرَّجْعَةُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْتَسِلْ، وَإِنْ انْقَطَعَ لِأَقَلَّ مِنْ عَشَرَةِ أَيَّامٍ لَمْ تَنْقَطِعْ الرَّجْعَةُ حَتَّى تَغْتَسِلَ أَوْ يَمْضِيَ عَلَيْهَا وَقْتُ صَلَاةٍ كَامِلٍ) لِأَنَّ الْحَيْضَ لَا مَزِيدَ لَهُ عَلَى الْعَشَرَةِ، فَبِمُجَرَّدِ الِانْقِطَاعِ خَرَجَتْ مِنْ الْحَيْضِ فَانْقَضَتْ الْعِدَّةُ وَانْقَطَعَتْ الرَّجْعَةُ،

الاختيار لتعليل المختار (3/ 149)

قَالَ: (وَإِذَا انْقَطَعَ الدَّمُ فِي الْحَيْضَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ لِعَشَرَةِ أَيَّامٍ انْقَطَعَتِ الرَّجْعَةُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْتَسِلْ) لِأَنَّهَا خَرَجَتْ مِنَ الْحَيْضَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَقَدِ انْقَضَتِ الْعِدَّةُ

الفتاوى الهندية (1/ 348) [3]