Will a divorce which was forced by the parents constitute a Talaq?
Question
My cousin was forced to sign on the divorce papers. His father threatened that he would kill himself if my cousin didn’t sign the divorce papers. He got under pressure and signed the papers. No verbal Talaq was given whatsoever. He wants to live with his wife as he dearly loves her. Please tell me if they are still married or not?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
If your cousin did not verbally utter the words of Talaaq and merely signed the papers of divorce due to immense pressure from his father of wanting to kill himself, then this will be regarded as Ikraah as explained by Hazrat Mufti Abdur Raheem Lajpuri Sahab Rahmatullahi Alaih. Accordingly, in the enquired situation, you may follow the fatwa of Hazrat Mufti Abdur Raheem Lajpuri Sahab Rahmatullahi Alaih, a good wali and a great jurist. [1]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abdul Hannan Nizami,
Student Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
[1] وَقَيَّدْنَا بِكَوْنِهِ عَلَى النُّطْقِ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ أُكْرِهَ عَلَى أَنْ يَكْتُبَ طَلَاقَ امْرَأَتِهِ فَكَتَبَ لَا تَطْلُقُ لِأَنَّ الْكِتَابَةَ أُقِيمَتْ مُقَامَ الْعِبَارَةِ بِاعْتِبَارِ الْحَاجَةِ وَلَا حَاجَةَ هُنَا كَذَا فِي الْخَانِيَّةِ، وَفِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ أُكْرِهَ عَلَى طَلَاقِهَا فَكَتَبَ فُلَانَةُ بِنْتُ فُلَانٍ طَالِقٌ لَمْ يَقَعْ (البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق، ج3ص264، دار الكتاب الإسلامي)
رَجُلٌ أُكْرِهَ بِالضَّرْبِ وَالْحَبْسِ على أَنْ يَكْتُبَ طَلَاقَ امْرَأَتِهِ فُلَانَةَ بِنْتِ فُلَانٍ بن فُلَانٍ فَكَتَبَ امْرَأَتَهُ فُلَانَةَ بِنْتَ فُلَانٍ بن فُلَانٍ طَالِقٌ لَا تَطْلُقُ امْرَأَتُهُ كَذَا في فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ (الفتاوى الهندية، ج1ص379، دار الفكر)
لو أُكْرِهَ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ على الْقِرْطَاسِ امْرَأَتَهُ طَالِقٌ أو أَمْرُهَا بِيَدِهَا لم يَصِحَّ إلَّا إذَا نَوَى كَذَا في الْعَتَّابِيَّةِ (الفتاوى الهندية، ج1ص 402، دار الفكر)
فَلَوْ أُكْرِهَ عَلَى أَنْ يَكْتُبَ طَلَاقَ امْرَأَتِهِ فَكَتَبَ لَا تَطْلُقُ لِأَنَّ الْكِتَابَةَ أُقِيمَتْ مَقَامَ الْعِبَارَةِ بِاعْتِبَارِ الْحَاجَةِ وَلَا حَاجَةَ هُنَا، كَذَا فِي الْخَانِيَّةُ (الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار)، ج3ص236، دار الفكر)
(فتاوي رحيميه، ج10ص273، دار الاشاعت)
- Answered by
- Abdul Hannan Nizami
- Checked & approved by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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