Question Summary:
If a man was forced to sign a divorce paper, does it constitute Talaq if he did not utter the words of Talaq verbally? Question Detail:
A friend of mine has got himself in a little mess and wants to know what are his options.He signed a paper written by his sister stating that he is giving his wife three divorce. now according to him when he signed he had no intention of giving his wife talaq and didn't want to give it at all. he only did it under pressure from his family so he could get rid of them, buy himself sometime without anyone interfering and bugging him to sort out his marriage.
Now he wants his wife and son back. now he wants to know if the talaq takes effect as he did not have intention nor did he utter the wordings. please take into consideration he has a son and also he had no intention of talaq at all no did he utter the words.
Answer :
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
You have stated that your friend has not uttered the words of Talaaq verbally. He has merely signed the divorce papers due to intense pressure from his family in which it stated that he is giving his wife three Talaaqs.
In principle, if a person writes or signs the divorce papers, Talaaq will take place. However, if a person is under intense pressure from his family that they will physically harm him and he merely writes or signs the divorce papers without verbally utter the words of Talaaq, then Talaaq will not take place.
If your friend truly feels that he was under such intense pressure that his family might go to an extent of physically harming him, then Hazrat Mufti Ahmed Lajpuri Sahab, a great jurist of recent times has stated in Fataawa Raheemiyyah that the Talaaqs do not take place. However, if the situation was not such that his family would physically cause harm to him, then the three Talaaqs will be valid.[1]
Your friend will have to make the ultimate decision according to the above principle based on his consciousness in Allah.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abdul Hannan Nizami,
Student Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] 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 (الفتاوى الهندية، ج1ص379، دار الفكر)
وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مَرْسُومَةً يَقَعُ الطَّلَاقُ نَوَى أَوْ لَمْ يَنْوِ (الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار)، ج3ص246، دار الفكر)
(كَوْنُ الشَّيْءِ الْمُكْرَهِ بِهِ مُتْلِفًا نَفْسًا أَوْ عُضْوًا أَوْ مُوجِبًا غَمًّا يُعْدِمُ الرِّضَا) وَهَذَا أَدْنَى مَرَاتِبِهِ وَهُوَ يَخْتَلِفُ بِاخْتِلَافِ الْأَشْخَاصِ فَإِنَّ الْأَشْرَافَ يُغَمُّونَ بِكَلَامٍ خَشِنٍ، وَالْأَرَاذِلَ رُبَّمَا لَا يُغَمُّونَ إلَّا بِالضَّرْبِ الْمُبَرِّحِ ابْنُ كَمَالٍ (الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار)، ج6ص129، دار الفكر)
(كَوْنُ الْمُكْرَهِ بِهِ مُتْلِفًا نَفْسًا أَوْ عُضْوًا) مِنْ الْأَعْضَاءِ (أَوْ مُوجِبًا عَمَّا يُعْدِمُ الرِّضَى) ؛ لِأَنَّ مَنْ كَانَ شَرِيفًا يَغْتَمُّ بِكَلَامٍ خَشِنٍ فَيُعَدُّ مِثْلُ هَذَا فِي حَقِّهِ إكْرَاهًا إذْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ لَهُ مِنْ أَلَمِ الضَّرْبِ وَمَنْ كَانَ رَذِيلًا فَلَا يَغْتَمُّ إلَّا بِضَرْبٍ مُؤْلِمٍ أَوْ بِحَبْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَلَا يُعَدُّ الضَّرْبُ مَرَّةً بِسَوْطٍ وَلَا الْحَبْسُ سَاعَةً بَلْ يَوْمًا فِي حَقِّهِ إكْرَاهًا لِكَوْنِ الْأَشْخَاصِ مُتَفَاوِتِينَ وَلِذَا قَيَّدَ مَا يُوجِبُ الْغَمَّ بِإِعْدَامِ الرِّضَى (مجمع الأنهر في شرح ملتقى الأبحر، ج2ص430، دار إحياء التراث العربي)
(فتاوي محموديه، ج12ص231، ادارة الفاروق)
(فتاوي رحيميه، ج8ص271-273، دار الاشاعت)
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