Question Summary:
I have a question regarding divorce issued under force or pressure… my husband was forced to sign a paper that stated he was divorcing me…

Question Detail:

I have a question regarding divorce issued under force or pressure... my husband was forced to sign a paper that stated he was divorcing me ... My mother in law wrote the text on the paper and has been arguing on the matter for almost a year now. When he refused to sign the paper she held a knife and told him that if he does not do so she would kill herself. Scared of the circumstances he signed the paper that she had written without reading it just to handle the situation. He, however did not intend to divorce me.

i would like to know if this divorce is valid or not..and if it qualify's as one can the nikah be renewed before the 90 days period

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
If a person was forced to write down talaq to his wife and he did not have the intention to divorce her, the talaq will not occur on condition that he did not utter the words of talaq verbally.
 
Fatawa Rahimiyya (8/309) Darul Ishaat
Fatawa Mahmudiyya (12/651) Faruqiyya
Rad al-Muhtar (3/236) Sa’eed
Muheet al-Burhani (4/386) Idarat al-Qur’an
- وفي البحر أن المراد الإكراه على التلفظ بالطلاق ، فلو أكره على أن يكتب طلاق امرأته فكتب لا تطلق لأن الكتابة أقيمت مقام العبارة باعتبار الحاجة ولا حاجة هنا ، كذا في الخانية (رد المحتار)
- وفي «فتاوى أهل سمرقند»: إذا أكره الرجل بالحبس والضرب على أن يكتب طلاق امرأته فكتب فلانة بنت فلان طالق لا تطلق لأن الكتاب من الغائب جعل بمنزلة الخطاب من الحاضر باعتبار الحاجة، ولا حاجة ههنا حيث احتيج إلى الضرب والله أعلم. (المحيط البرهانى)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Ehzaz Ajmeri,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah