Answered by: Maulana Muddasser Dhedhy
Question
My husband out of anger has many times said behind my back that he will leave me. Never he said this in front of me. He married his girlfriend and then got divorced..now he is married again. I said once to leave me and he said ok. Is this divorce. What is the method of ruju
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Firstly, it is not necessary for the wife to be present when the husband divorces her. For example, he could divorce her in writing when she is not present. The divorce will apply the moment the husband wrote it and so will her iddah begin from the time of writing the divorce.[1]
Hence, when the husband said in his wife’s absence that he will leave his wife, it will not be considered to be divorce as it is a threat of divorce.
However, when the husband responds with ‘okay’ or ‘yes’ in response to the wife asking for him to leave her or to divorce, this will not constitute a divorce even is he intends to divorce her.[2]
In the particular situation of the questioner, given that the divorce has already come into effect when the husband said in his wife’s absence that he will leave her, if the iddah has already passed from that time onwards there will be no consideration for what the man has said latter in response to the woman asking for him to leave her as she is no longer his wife.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Muddasser Dhedhy
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1]ثُمَّ الْمَرْسُومَةُ لَا تَخْلُو إمَّا أَنْ أَرْسَلَ الطَّلَاقَ بِأَنْ كَتَبَ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ، فَكَمَا كَتَبَ هَذَا يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ وَتَلْزَمُهَا الْعِدَّةُ مِنْ وَقْتِ الْكِتَابَةِ. .(رد المحتار ج 4 ص 456. دار الكتب العلمية)
[2]وَفِي الْمُحِيطِ لَوْ قَالَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ أَنَا طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ الزَّوْجُ نَعَمْ كَانَتْ طَالِقًا إنْ نَوَى بِهِ طَلَاقًا مُسْتَقْبَلًا، وَإِنْ نَوَى بِهِ الْخَبَرَ عَمَّا مَضَى وَقَعَ، وَفِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ قَالَتْ لَهُ أَنَا طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ طَلُقَتْ وَلَوْ قَالَتْ طَلِّقْنِي فَقَالَ نَعَمْ لَا، وَإِنْ نَوَى اهـ.(البحر الرائق ج 3 ص 445. مكتبه رشيدية)
وَلَوْ قَالَتْ أَنَا طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ طَلُقَتْ وَلَوْ قَالَهُ فِي جَوَابِ طَلِّقْنِي لَا تَطْلُقُ وَإِنْ نَوَى قِيلَ لِرَجُلٍ أَلَسْت طَلَّقْت امْرَأَتَك فَقَالَ بَلَى تَطْلُقُ كَأَنَّهُ قَالَ طَلَّقْت لِأَنَّهُ جَوَابُ الِاسْتِفْهَامِ بِالْإِثْبَاتِ وَلَوْ قَالَ نَعَمْ لَا تَطْلُقُ لِأَنَّهُ جَوَابُ الِاسْتِفْهَامِ بِالنَّفْيِ كَأَنَّهُ قَالَ مَا طَلَّقْت كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ (الفتاوى الهندية ج 1 ص 391. دار الكتب العلمية)