Fatwah Required With Regards To Talaaq
Question
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ How are you Mufti? Trust & hope that you are well? With the mercy & blessings of Allah. So sorry to trouble you Mufti Sup. I require a fatwa from you. So Few days ago me and my wife had an argument. Well the conversation started of calm and then it quickly escalated and got quite heated. So when things started getting to a point where I saw my wife was getting very angry I decided that the best thing to do is to call my father in law so we can settle this problem properly as we have been having problems in the past. So while everything is as heated in the moment I was going to reach for my phone in order to call my father in law, bu t just before I could do that my wife jumped from across the bed and attacked me. After she hit me. I got very angry and really upset as I felt it’s not right that a wife can hit her husband despite how many disagreements we had. I then uttered I quote “I give you (I wanted to tell her I give you the second talaaq) but I mistakenly said I give you 3 talaaqs. Almighty Allah is my witness I did not intend to say 3 my intention was the second talaaq. Can Mu fti Sup please me give me a fatwah Ruling on my case. Jazakallah Khair
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Brother in Islam,
You mentioned that you had previously given your wife one ṭalāq and thereafter took her back. On a later occasion, you intended to tell her "I give you the second ṭalāq", however the words that came out of your mouth were "I give you 3 ṭalāqs". You have taken Allah as your witness that you did not intend three and that your intention was only the second ṭalāq.
In principle, a ṭalāq is looked at from two angles. The first is qaḍāʾ, which is the ruling that is passed on the apparent words that were spoken. This is how a Muslim judge would rule, since he can only judge by what was said and has no access to what was in the person's heart. The second is diyānah, which is the ruling between the person and Allah Taʿālā. Here, the person's true intention is taken into consideration, since Allah Taʿālā knows what was in his heart.[1]
When a husband intends to say one thing and his tongue slips to a word of ṭalāq that he did not intend, the ṭalāq takes effect in qaḍāʾ, because the word was clearly spoken. However, in diyānah, he is not held to what he did not intend.[2][3] The same applies to the number of ṭalāqs. If a husband intended a certain number and his tongue slipped to a greater number, then in qaḍāʾ the number that was spoken takes effect, and in diyānah only the number he intended takes effect. This is on condition that he is truthful on his intention.[4][5]
Accordingly, in qaḍāʾ, your words "I give you 3 ṭalāqs" would be taken as three ṭalāqs. However, in diyānah, between you and Allah Taʿālā, if your intention was only the second ṭalāq and the word "three" was a slip of the tongue, then only the second ṭalāq has taken effect. In the absence of a qadha system, diyanah would be applicable.
In the enquired situation, you have given your wife a total of two ṭalāqs. Both are revocable (rajʿī), and you have the right to take your wife back during her ʿiddah without a new nikāḥ. You may do so by saying to her "I take you back", and it is preferable to make two people aware of it. If her ʿiddah has ended before you take her back, then a new nikāḥ with a new mahr will be required, with her consent.
It is important to note that this ruling is based on your truthfulness, and you will be answerable to Allah Taʿālā for it. If, in reality, you had intended three, then three ṭalāqs have taken effect and she is no longer permissible for you.
Allah knows best
Mufti Mirza-Zain Baig
______
[1] «والحاصل أن قولهم الصريح لا يحتاج إلى النية إنما هو في القضاء أما في الديانة فمحتاج إليها»
(البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق: ٢٧٨/٣، دار الكتاب الإسلامي)
[2] «(أو مخطئا) بأن أراد التكلم بغير الطلاق فجرى على لسانه الطلاق أو تلفظ به غير عالم بمعناه أو غافلا أو ساهيا أو بألفاظ مصحفة يقع قضاء فقط»
(الدر المختار مع رد المحتار: ٢٤١/٣–٢٤٢، مصطفى البابي الحلبي)
«ومن فروع هذا الأصل أنه لو اختلف اللسان والقلب فالمعتبر ما في القلب ... أو قصد الحلف على شيء فسبق لسانه إلى غيره، هذا في اليمين بالله تعالى، وأما في الطلاق والعتاق فيقع قضاء لا ديانة»
(الأشباه والنظائر لابن نجيم: ص ٣٩، دار الكتب العلمية)
[3] «وقال أبو حنيفة: الطلاق لا يقع فيما بينه وبين الله تعالى»
(المحيط البرهاني: ٤٠٤/٢، دار الكتب العلمية)
«والذي يظهر من الشرع أن لا يقع بلا قصد لفظ الطلاق عند الله وقوله فيمن سبق لسانه واقع أي في القضاء ... فهذا تشريع لعباده أن لا يرتبوا الأحكام على الأشياء التي لم تقصد»
(التقرير والتحبير على التحرير: ٢٠٥/٢، المطبعة الكبرى الأميرية ببولاق)
[4] «(سئل) في رجل قال لزوجته روحي طالق وكررها ثلاثا ناويا بذلك جميعه واحدة وتأكيدا للأولى ... وهو يحلف بالله العظيم أنه قصد ذلك لا غيره ... (الجواب): لا يصدق في ذلك قضاء لأن القاضي مأمور باتباع الظاهر والله يتولى السرائر ... ويصدق ديانة أنه قصد التأكيد ويقع عليه بذلك طلقة واحدة رجعية ديانة حيث نواها فقط وله مراجعتها في العدة بدون إذنها حيث لم يتقدم له عليها طلقتان ... لكن لا يصدق أنه قصد التأكيد إلا بيمينه»
(العقود الدرية في تنقيح الفتاوى الحامدية: ٣٧/١، دار المعرفة)
[5] «(سئل) في شخص أراد أن يقول لزوجته أنت خارجة عن طاعتي فسبق لسانه وقال خارجة عن عصمتي ... (الجواب): لا يقع عليه الطلاق ديانة ويقع قضاء»
(العقود الدرية في تنقيح الفتاوى الحامدية: ٤٣/١، دار المعرفة)
Canadian Centre for Islamic Research and Iftaa · This answer is provided for general guidance.