Writing out three talaaqs in the state of duress

Q: Mufti Saheb, I was forced by my family to divorce my wife by writing on a page and signing that I am giving her three talaaqs. My family threatened to beat me up if I did not comply. Hence, I was forced to write the following: “I, so and so, am giving my wife three talaaqs.” Are the three talaaqs which I wrote valid or is my wife still in my nikaah?  I did not verbally issue the three talaaqs.

A: If you did not verbally issue the three talaaqs, but you wrote out the three talaaqs in the state of duress while being threatened to be beaten, then the three talaaqs written in this state are not valid. Hence, your wife is still in your nikaah.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

فلو أكره على أن يكتب طلاق امرأته فكتب لا تطلق (الدر المختار ٣/٣٢٦)

رجل أكره بالضرب والحبس على أن يكتب طلاق امرأته فلانة بنت فلان بن فلان فكتب امرأته فلانة بنت فلان بن فلان طالق لا تطلق امرأته كذا في فتاوى قاضي خان (الفتاوى الهندية ١/٣٧٩)

رجل أكره بالضرب والحبس على أن يكتب طلاق امرأته فكتب فلانة بنت فلانة امرأته طالق وفي الحاوي: ولم يعبّر بلسانه، لا تطلّق (الفتاوى التاتارخانية ٣/٣٨٠)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

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