Fatwa #2968419 September 2014Pakistan
Does responding with yes or Ok to a divorce thought constitute divorce?
Question
Does responding with yes or Ok to a divorce thought constitute divorce? for example one has a thought that if i did a specific thing or said a specific word it will mean divorce to me. And he say ok or Yes.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The mere thought of divorce does not constitute divorce .[1]
Furthermore, it is necessary for the words of divorce to be uttered or directed at one’s wife intentionally. [2]
In the enquired situation divorce does not take place.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Arshad Ali
Student Darul Iftaa
Trinidad
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح (ص: 219)
لو أجرى الطلاق على قلبه وحرك لسانه من غير تلفظ يسمع لا يقع
[2] البحر الرائق - ث (3/ 278)
وأماما في فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ وَلَا بُدَّ من الْقَصْدِ بِالْخِطَابِ بِلَفْظِ الطَّلَاقِ عَالِمًا بِمَعْنَاهُ أو النِّسْبَةِ إلَى الْغَائِبَةِ كما يُفِيدُهُ فُرُوعٌ