Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(63): “Ignorance of Spouses Regarding the Necessity of Renewing their Marriage Contract after Minor Revocable Divorce“

Date: 5/3/1424 AH corresponding to 7/5/2003 AD.

 

The Board received the following question:

I made revocable divorce to my wife in return for absolution after the consummation of the marriage contract. Later on, I went to my wife and her family and showed remorse over what I have done. I expressed my wish to take her back and after prolonged discussions, I managed to convince them to do so. However, being ignorant of the Sharia ruling in this regard, I took her home without renewing our marriage contract and we lived together and had a number of children. We have recently realized that we should have renewed our marriage contract. Now, we are perplexed as to what we are supposed to do, would you please guide us to do what is right in our situation?

Answer: All success is due to Allah.

The Board is of the view that due to the ignorance of both spouses as regards the ruling of Sharia on their divorce and its consequences, they should make repentance and seek forgiveness for the period, which they spent without renewing their marriage contract. They should also renew their marriage contract, and the children born during that period are considered theirs because they begot them while being ignorant of the Sharia ruling in question. 

And Allah Knows Best.

Iftaa` Board

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice, Izz Al-Deen Al-Tamimi

                Dr. Mohammad Abu Yahia     

    Dr. Ahmad Hilayil       

       Dr. Yousef Gheezaan   

Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri

     Sheikh Saeid Hijjawi   

           Sheikh Naeim Mujahid      

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is usually said upon the slaughtering of the Aqeeqah (the sheep slaughtered on the seventh day from the child`s birth)?

It is desirable to say: "Bismillah Alrahman Alraheem, was`salatu Wa s`salamu Ala Sa`idenah Mohammad, O Allah, this Aqeeqah is from You and to You on behalf of ….."

What is meant by "Recalcitrance of the woman toward her husband doesn`t render her divorced"?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
It means that her being recalcitrant (Nashiz) doesn`t make her divorced. Rather, she has to be divorced by husband or Sharia judge to be considered divorced. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

Is the `Iddah (waiting period) of the divorced effective from the time the divorce took place, or from the time of registering it at the court?

It is considered effective from the very moment her divorce took place, but not from the time of registering it at the court. And Allah Knows Best.

I`m married to an American citizen who used to be married to a man in Mexico and filed for divorce there. It is worth pointing that in America she isn`t registered as married. When she arrived in Jordan, her lawyer called and told her that she got the divorce, and based on this we got married in Jordan. What is the ruling of Sharia on this?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of The Worlds. May His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
 
You haven`t mentioned whether this woman has converted to Islam or not. If she had embraced Islam and three menstrual cycles passed, but her first husband hasn`t converted to Islam, then her relationship with him is over. If you married her after this (Passing of three menstrual cycles and first husband not having embraced Islam) then your marriage is valid. However, if she didn`t convert to Islam then your marriage contract with her is invalid and you have to wait until she gets divorced by her first husband and observes Iddah, which is three menstrual cycles. Afterwards, you can conclude the marriage contract. We pray that Allah doesn`t hold you to account for what you have done because you thought she was divorced. We recommend that you seek Allah`s forgiveness as much as you can and do righteous deeds. We also advise you to marry a Muslim woman to preserve your and your children`s religion since Almighty Allah Says (What means): "Wed not idolatresses till they believe…" [Al-Baqarah/ 221]. It is true that marrying a Kitabi (One who believes in a book of sacred scriptures and with whom a Muslim may marry in what is deemed a lawful marriage) is permissible, it involves great risks, as stated in the aforementioned verse. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.