Assalamu alaikum Sheikh
I have a question regarding a divorce case of a relative of mine. She divorced her husband after he made some false accusations of her chastity. She went to the local court (a Kazi office) to get a divorce. The divorce letter was sent to the husband who still does not acknowledge the divorce.They are living apart. But some people are saying that the divoce is invalid. Husband and the girl’s family are trying to come to term now.
Even though there was a stupulation of mahr at the time of wedding, when the wife sent the divorce letter, the husband did not pay the mahr.
Please advise us as regards to the validity of the divorce.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, only the husband has a right to issue divorce.[1]
The divorce given by the court without the consent of the husband is not accepted in Shariah.[2]
The mere separation between the husband and wife does not invalidate the nikah.
We advise the husband and wife to amicably resolve their dispute by seeking assistance from their respective families and the local Ulama.
If the wife still wishes to be divorced and the husband refuses to divorce her, she may seek khula (divorce from her husband in exchange for a sum of money).
If the husband refuses to accept the khula, the wife may apply to the local Ulama body to annul the marriage.
The Ulama will consider the application and act accordingly.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Saad Haque
Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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[1] الحجة على أهل المدينة (3/ 504) – أبو عبد الله محمد بن الحسن بن فرقد الشيباني (المتوفى: 189هـ) | عالم الكتب – بيروت
بَاب فسخ النِّكَاح
مُحَمَّد قَالَ قَالَ ابو حنيفَة رَضِي الله عَنهُ كل فرقة بَين الرجل وامرأتة وَقعت من قبل الرجل فَهِيَ طَلَاق إِلَّا فِي خصْلَة وَاحِدَة اذا ارْتَدَّ عَن الاسلام لم تكن ردته بِطَلَاق وكل فرقة جَاءَت من قبل الْمَرْأَة فَلَيْسَتْ بِطَلَاق بِوَجْه من الْوُجُوه لَان الطَّلَاق بيد الرجل لَا بيد الْمَرْأَة
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (3/ 145) – علاء الدين، أبو بكر بن مسعود بن أحمد الكاساني الحنفي (المتوفى: 587هـ) | دار الكتب العلمية
وأما ركنه فهو الإيجاب والقبول؛ لأنه عقد على الطلاق بعوض فلا تقع الفرقة، ولا يستحق العوض بدون القبول
فتاوى دار العلوم زكريا (٤/٢٣٦)