Fatwa #2591012 July 2013United Arab Emirates
My wife is having an extra-marital relationship and wants me to divorce her. What should i do?
Question
I had been married for few month but unfortunately my wife is having another relationship & seeking divorce to marry her boy friend. Personally I do not want to divorce her since I believe I can be a good husband to her if she decide to workout our marriage. I had discussed the issue with her parents & neither they want me to divorce her.We all have advised her saying it is sinful act to seek divorce without proper reasoning though she wanted to marry someone else.
What should be done from my side. should I divorce her or should I not? for the time being I have spoken to her and requested to keep up her prayers till the end of Ramadan and inform me her final decision, but she does not want to wait anymore and she need the divorce as soon as possible, we are living outside our country and if I agree to her request she wanted to go and live with her family till our divorced documentations are completed.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
We do not see any scope in this marriage. You are married only for two months and your wife is already having an extra-marital relationship and seeking a divorce. It is clear that she does want not to continue the marriage with you. There is no point in you holding onto the marriage. Our advice is you release her now from your marriage by issuing her one Talaq-e-Baa’in. Do not wait for after Ramadhan.
Once you release her, you will be absolved and you will feel relieved. Our Dua is Allah grant you a better spouse.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.