Fatwa #3052613 September 2014United Kingdom
Does the statement 'Do you want a divorce' constitute a divorce?
Question
A husband shouts at his wife, 'Do you want a divorce?'. Husband also says , 'If you feel like that, we should call our parents and end it this weekend'. Do these expressions count as talaq?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The husband merely asked a question by saying “do you want a divorce”? And he expressed an opinion by saying “if you feel like that, we should call our parents and end it this weekend.” These two statements do not constitute divorce. The husband should exercise precaution in his speech especially in issues of divorce. [1]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ismail Dawoodjee
Student Darul Iftaa
Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] لو قال إن كنت تحبين الطلاق بقلبك أو تهوينه أو تريدينه أو تشتهينه بقلبك دون لسانك فأنت طالق ثلاثا فقالت لا أشاء ولا أحب ولا أهوى ولا أريد ولا أشتهي فهي امرأته؛ لأنها أخبرت بضد ما هو شرط الطلاق (المبسوط ج6 ص209 دار النوادر)
فتاوى دار العلوم ديوبند ج9 ص41 دار الاشاعت