𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (307)

Does Divorce Take Effect If The Husband Still Loves His Wife? Question: A man says that his wife served him dinner during Ramaḍhān. As he began eating, he noticed that his child—who is the son of his other wife—was sick. He told his wife that he would take the child for medical assistance, but she insisted that he finish his meal first and prevented him from leaving. He became angry, and since he suffers from diabetes, he lost control due to extreme frustration. In the heat of the moment, he uttered the words of divorce, saying, "You are divorced." However, he states that while he was extremely angry, he did not lose consciousness and was aware of what he was saying. He now regrets his words, as he still loves his wife and does not wish for the divorce to take effect. He also mentions that he took her back two days later. Sheikh ’Abdulhameed Az-Zu’kari ḥafidahullāh: Many husbands hastily divorce their wives and later claim, "But I love her." However, love is not an excuse. When Mugheeth (may Allāh be pleased with him) was separated from Bareerah, he followed her, weeping, and the Prophet ﷺ remarked, "I am amazed at how much Mugheeth loves Bareerah and how much Bareerah dislikes Mugheeth." Even when the Prophet ﷺ interceded, Bareerah refused to return to him, saying, "I have no need for him." Indeed, most husbands love their wives, but they rush into divorce and separation. If you did not reach a state where you completely lost control over yourself, then your divorce is valid, as a diabetic person remains legally accountable. However, if your anger reached a level where you could no longer control your actions or words, then it may not count. Since you reconciled with her, the divorce is still counted against you, unless you were in a state where you truly could not control yourself. Brother, in such situations, you could have simply taken a minute or two to eat a little and then left, or you could have ignored her and gone without arguing. But to hastily pronounce divorce over something so minor is one of the calamities afflicting our Ummah. May Allāh grant us well-being. There are even cases where men divorce their wives over football matches—whether Al-Nassr wins against Al-Hilal or vice versa. Some men support one team, their wives support another, and in the heat of the moment, a divorce occurs. Worse still, in Yemen, a man divorced his wife because he was an Argentina fan while she supported the Saudi national team. When Saudi Arabia won, she celebrated, and in his anger over Argentina's loss, he divorced her—perhaps even with his third and final divorce. Only then do people rush to seek a fatwa. They rarely consult scholars about prayer, Ḥajj, fasting, or even proper dress—but when divorce happens, suddenly they remember the mufti. Just yesterday, someone called, weeping, desperately looking for a way out. But where can I bring him an escape? Where will a solution come from? (i.e. Allāh's laws cannot be changed). This is the reality of many people today. May Allāh help us all.