Fatwa Explorer

Fatwa #1660218 April 2008United States of America

Forced to sign a paper stating he was divorcing me

Question

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

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