Verbal Triple Divorce After Nikāḥ Without Consummation — Ruling & Evidences
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 805
By: Muhammad Ramzān, son of Faẓl Dīn (Ansārī), resident of Ghulām Ābād, House No. 328-D, Tehsil & District Faisalabad:
“I seek a Sharʿī ruling on the following matter:
I arranged the nikāḥ of my daughter, Naseem Akhtar, with Shāhid Nadīm, son of Faqīr Muḥammad (Ansārī), of Syed Abād, House No. 161, Street No. 5, Faisalabad, approximately 1.5 months ago.
Only the nikāḥ was performed, the bride was not yet sent (rukhsatī) to the husband's home.
On the very day of the nikāḥ, a dispute arose. When the groom’s side arrived for the wedding, the bride’s family served food on the floor, which offended the groom. He remarked:
“We are not so lowly that we should eat sitting on the floor.”
Despite rearranging the food on stands, the groom argued further, insulted the hosts, and said:
“I don’t want her. From my side, she is divorced, divorced, divorced. I cannot take her into my house.”
Community members tried to mediate, but he refused to reconcile. The bride returned to her parental home.
Even after several attempts at reconciliation, the groom publicly refused to accept her.
The girl remains at her father’s home without ever being sent to her husband’s home.
Is the divorce valid in this case according to Sharīʿah?
Two witnesses (Muhammad Sharif and Hājī Muhammad Arā’īn) have testified under oath that the question is true and factual.
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد:
Assuming the question is accurate and the described incident occurred, the divorce is legally valid (Sharʿan).
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī records from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي مَا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا، مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ أَوْ تَتَكَلَّمْ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṭalāq fī al-Ighlāq wa al-Karāhiyya wa al-Nisyān, Vol. 2, pp. 793–794)
Translation:
“Allah has pardoned my Ummah for what they think in their hearts, as long as they do not act upon it or speak it aloud.”
This hadith proves that divorce occurs when verbally expressed, not just when thought of.
❖ Imām al-Tirmidhī said:
"العَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِندَ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا حَدَّثَ نَفْسَهُ بِالطَّلَاقِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ"
(Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 2, p. 215)
Translation:
The consensus of the scholars is that if a man merely thinks about divorce, it does not occur until he verbalizes it.
❖ Imām Ibn Qudāmah al-Ḥanbalī said:
"أن الطلاق لا يقع إلا بلفظ، فلو نواه بقلبه من غير لفظ لم يقع في قول عامة أهل العلم…"
(al-Mughnī, Vol. 7, p. 394)
Translation:
Divorce occurs only through verbal declaration. If a man intends divorce in his heart but does not say it, it does not take effect, according to the majority of scholars.
❖ Imām Mālik’s Position:
"فالمشهور عن مالك أن الطلاق لا يقع إلا بلفظ ونيّة"
(Bidāyat al-Mujtahid, Vol. 2, p. 56)
Translation:
The well-known view of Mālik is that divorce occurs only with both spoken words and intention.
Both affirmed:
“When a husband gives divorce in accordance with Sharīʿah—whether verbally or in writing—it certainly takes effect.”
(Fatāwā Nadhīriyyah, Vol. 3, p. 73)
Also confirmed by:
(Fatāwā Dār al-ʿUlūm Deoband, Vol. 2, p. 658)
Since Shāhid Nadīm clearly said, “Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq” in the presence of others, divorce has occurred.
And because this happened before consummation (before rukhsatī), the ruling is that of Ṭalāq Bā’in Ṣughrā (minor irrevocable divorce).
In such cases:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ فَمَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ عِدَّةٍ تَعْتَدُّونَهَا ۖ فَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ وَسَرِّحُوهُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا﴾
(Sūrah al-Aḥzāb, 33:49)
Translation:
“O believers! If you marry believing women and then divorce them before consummation, then you have no waiting period (ʿiddah) to count for them. So give them a gift and let them go in a graceful manner.”
﴿وَإِن طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً فَنِصْفُ مَا فَرَضْتُمْ﴾
(Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:237)
Translation:
“If you divorce them before consummation, but you had fixed a dower (mahr), then give them half of what you agreed upon—unless they forgo it.”
Shaykh Muḥammad Sābiq writes:
"يقع الطلاق بكل ما يدل على إنهاء العلاقة الزوجية سواء كان ذلك باللفظ أو بالكتابة إلى الزوجة أو بالإشارة..."
(Fiqh al-Sunnah, Vol. 2, pp. 216–217)
Translation:
Divorce takes effect by anything that clearly indicates termination of the marital relationship—whether it is spoken, written, or gestured.
✔ Since the husband explicitly uttered “Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq”, the divorce is valid.
✔ Because it was before consummation, the divorce is irrevocable (bā’in) but minor (ṣughrā).
✔ No ʿiddah is required, and the marriage has ended.
⚠ Note:
This ruling is based strictly on the authenticity of the question and is purely a Sharʿī explanation.
The issuing Muftī bears no responsibility for legal or judicial matters.
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 805
❖ Question:
By: Muhammad Ramzān, son of Faẓl Dīn (Ansārī), resident of Ghulām Ābād, House No. 328-D, Tehsil & District Faisalabad:
“I seek a Sharʿī ruling on the following matter:
I arranged the nikāḥ of my daughter, Naseem Akhtar, with Shāhid Nadīm, son of Faqīr Muḥammad (Ansārī), of Syed Abād, House No. 161, Street No. 5, Faisalabad, approximately 1.5 months ago.
Only the nikāḥ was performed, the bride was not yet sent (rukhsatī) to the husband's home.
On the very day of the nikāḥ, a dispute arose. When the groom’s side arrived for the wedding, the bride’s family served food on the floor, which offended the groom. He remarked:
“We are not so lowly that we should eat sitting on the floor.”
Despite rearranging the food on stands, the groom argued further, insulted the hosts, and said:
“I don’t want her. From my side, she is divorced, divorced, divorced. I cannot take her into my house.”
Community members tried to mediate, but he refused to reconcile. The bride returned to her parental home.
Even after several attempts at reconciliation, the groom publicly refused to accept her.
The girl remains at her father’s home without ever being sent to her husband’s home.
Is the divorce valid in this case according to Sharīʿah?Two witnesses (Muhammad Sharif and Hājī Muhammad Arā’īn) have testified under oath that the question is true and factual.
❖ Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد:
Assuming the question is accurate and the described incident occurred, the divorce is legally valid (Sharʿan).
✿ ḥadīth Evidence:
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī records from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي مَا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا، مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ أَوْ تَتَكَلَّمْ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṭalāq fī al-Ighlāq wa al-Karāhiyya wa al-Nisyān, Vol. 2, pp. 793–794)
Translation:
“Allah has pardoned my Ummah for what they think in their hearts, as long as they do not act upon it or speak it aloud.”
This hadith proves that divorce occurs when verbally expressed, not just when thought of.✿ Sayings of Imams and Scholars:
❖ Imām al-Tirmidhī said:
"العَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِندَ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا حَدَّثَ نَفْسَهُ بِالطَّلَاقِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ"
(Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 2, p. 215)
Translation:
The consensus of the scholars is that if a man merely thinks about divorce, it does not occur until he verbalizes it.
❖ Imām Ibn Qudāmah al-Ḥanbalī said:
"أن الطلاق لا يقع إلا بلفظ، فلو نواه بقلبه من غير لفظ لم يقع في قول عامة أهل العلم…"
(al-Mughnī, Vol. 7, p. 394)
Translation:
Divorce occurs only through verbal declaration. If a man intends divorce in his heart but does not say it, it does not take effect, according to the majority of scholars.
❖ Imām Mālik’s Position:
"فالمشهور عن مالك أن الطلاق لا يقع إلا بلفظ ونيّة"
(Bidāyat al-Mujtahid, Vol. 2, p. 56)
Translation:
The well-known view of Mālik is that divorce occurs only with both spoken words and intention.
✿ Views of Indian Ḥadīth Scholars:
- Shaykh al-Kull Sayyid Nadhīr Ḥusayn
- ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq al-Muḥaddith al-Multānī
Both affirmed:
“When a husband gives divorce in accordance with Sharīʿah—whether verbally or in writing—it certainly takes effect.”
(Fatāwā Nadhīriyyah, Vol. 3, p. 73)
Also confirmed by:
- Mufti Muḥammad Shafīʿ Ḥanafī (Karachi)
(Fatāwā Dār al-ʿUlūm Deoband, Vol. 2, p. 658)
❖ Sharʿī Ruling:
Since Shāhid Nadīm clearly said, “Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq” in the presence of others, divorce has occurred.
And because this happened before consummation (before rukhsatī), the ruling is that of Ṭalāq Bā’in Ṣughrā (minor irrevocable divorce).
In such cases:- No ʿiddah (waiting period) is required.
- The marriage ends immediately with the divorce.
✿ Qur’anic Evidence:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ فَمَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ عِدَّةٍ تَعْتَدُّونَهَا ۖ فَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ وَسَرِّحُوهُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا﴾
(Sūrah al-Aḥzāb, 33:49)
Translation:
“O believers! If you marry believing women and then divorce them before consummation, then you have no waiting period (ʿiddah) to count for them. So give them a gift and let them go in a graceful manner.”
﴿وَإِن طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً فَنِصْفُ مَا فَرَضْتُمْ﴾
(Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:237)
Translation:
“If you divorce them before consummation, but you had fixed a dower (mahr), then give them half of what you agreed upon—unless they forgo it.”
✿ Fiqh Explanation:
Shaykh Muḥammad Sābiq writes:
"يقع الطلاق بكل ما يدل على إنهاء العلاقة الزوجية سواء كان ذلك باللفظ أو بالكتابة إلى الزوجة أو بالإشارة..."
(Fiqh al-Sunnah, Vol. 2, pp. 216–217)
Translation:
Divorce takes effect by anything that clearly indicates termination of the marital relationship—whether it is spoken, written, or gestured.
Final Conclusion:
✔ Since the husband explicitly uttered “Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq, Ṭalāq”, the divorce is valid.
✔ Because it was before consummation, the divorce is irrevocable (bā’in) but minor (ṣughrā).
✔ No ʿiddah is required, and the marriage has ended.
⚠ Note:
This ruling is based strictly on the authenticity of the question and is purely a Sharʿī explanation.
The issuing Muftī bears no responsibility for legal or judicial matters.
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
