Husband refuses to divorce or consent to civil divorce
Question
If a husband refuses to divorce his wife and disagrees with terms of Khula, can the wife apply for legal divorce and pay the divorce fee? If she does apply for divorce herself and legally a divorce is issued and the marriage is legally no longer valid, what is the ruling? Has divorce happened?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
If the wife makes an application for a civil divorce, and the husband consents, one ṭalāq bāʾin (irrevocable divorce) will occur when the decree nisi is made absolute. However, if the husband does not consent as the respondent, ṭalāq will not occur. Therefore, in the scenario in question, if the husband does not consent, ṭalāq will not occur.
If, however, a woman applies to a Shariah Council and they issue a Faskh (annulment), this will end the marriage and this does not require the consent of the husband. If this option is chosen, a reputable Shariah Council must be chosen.
قال السمرقندي في التحفة (٢/١٨٤): وكذلك كل فرقة حصلت بفعل المرأة أو حصلت لا بفعل الزوجين فهي فسخ، لأن المرأة لا تملك الطلاق، والطلاق لا بد له من قول الزوج، انتهى. وقال الكاساني في البدائع (٢/٣٣٦): والفرقة من قبل المرأة لا تصلح طلاقا، لأنها لا تلي الطلاق، فيجعل فسخا، انتهى۔
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
24 Rajab 1444 / 15 February 2023
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmed and Mufti Muhammad Tahir
