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Can a Man Divorce His Wife in Absentia?

04 January, 2017
Q Dear Sheikh, As-Salamu `alaykum. Can I divorce my wife in absentia, in front of two witnesses by pronouncing talaq three times and in writing? Is this permissible?

Answer

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, we commend your pursuit of knowledge and your keenness to seek what is lawful and avoid what is not. We earnestly implore Allah to bless your efforts in this honorable way.

In his response to the question you posed, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former President of the Islamic Society of North America, states:

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Divorce is the most hateful thing in the sight of Allah, but He has allowed it in the case of absolute need. If that is the case, then you can divorce your wife whether she is present or absent. You can convey to her your decision of divorce by writing and it is good to have two witnesses sign that.

However, it is not right that you divorce her three times. It is a bid`ah (innovation) and most reprehensible to pronounce divorce three times in one setting. You may divorce her only one time and once the `iddah is finished, she will be no more your wife. During the `iddah, after one or two divorces, you will have a right to cancel your divorce. After the third divorce, the husband is not allowed to take back his wife unless she is married to someone else and divorced from the second husband. The `iddah is three menstrual cycles or in case of pregnancy, until she delivers the baby.”

Allah Almighty knows best.