Divorce words uttered during extreme anger episodes
| Fatwa #2284 | Category: Marriage & Divorce | Country: Pakistan | Date: 23rd March 2026 |
| Fatwa #2284 | Date: 23rd March 2026 |
| Category: Marriage & Divorce | |
| Country: Pakistan | |
Question
A person experiences extreme anger episodes during which the heart races, trembling and sweating occur, and self-control is nearly lost. In such episodes, his behavior sometimes reaches an “ighlāq-like” or out-of-control state. The condition is medically documented with reports and treatment/therapy is ongoing.
During one such episode, he uttered divorce words unintentionally, immediately regretted it, and had no intention to break his family. This is not ordinary anger; awareness and control are significantly impaired.
Please advise, based on Qur’an and Sunnah, whether such words are Islamically valid. Kindly assess on a case-by-case basis.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, if the anger is such that one no longer even comprehends what he is saying and doing, then divorce uttered in such a situation will not occur. However, if a person is understanding what is coming out of his mouth, then anger will only be considered extreme if he cannot recall what transpired i.e. he does not even remember uttering the words of divorce.[1]
In the enquired situation, based on the information and description you have provided, the fact that he understood what has happened immediately after his utterances shows that his mind was fully present and hence, accountable. Therefore, in the enquired situation, the divorces will occur in proportion to the number of times such words were uttered.
Given that we have not seen his condition first hand, it would be prudent to seek the advice of a reputable Darul Iftaa near him which is able to ascertain the exact nature and severity of his condition. As far as the general rule is concerned, the benchmark to determine extreme anger is that one loses memory of what just happened. This is not so in his case.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (3/ 244) [1]
باب طلاق المدهوش
وَلَا يُنَافِيهِ تَعْرِيفُ الدَّهَشِ بِذَهَابِ الْعَقْلِ فَإِنَّ الْجُنُونَ فُنُونٌ، وَلِذَا فَسَّرَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ بِاخْتِلَالِ الْعَقْلِ وَأَدْخَلَ فِيهِ الْعَتَهَ وَالْبِرْسَامَ وَالْإِغْمَاءَ وَالدَّهَشَ. وَيُؤَيِّدُهُ مَا قُلْنَا قَوْلُ بَعْضِهِمْ: الْعَاقِلُ مَنْ يَسْتَقِيمُ كَلَامُهُ وَأَفْعَالُهُ إلَّا نَادِرًا، وَالْمَجْنُونُ ضِدُّهُ. وَأَيْضًا فَإِنَّ بَعْضَ الْمَجَانِينِ يَعْرِفُ مَا يَقُولُ وَيُرِيدُهُ وَيَذْكُرُ مَا يَشْهَدُ الْجَاهِلُ بِهِ بِأَنَّهُ عَاقِلٌ ثُمَّ يَظْهَرُ مِنْهُ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ مَا يُنَافِيهِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ الْمَجْنُونُ حَقِيقَةً قَدْ يَعْرِفُ مَا يَقُولُ وَيَقْصِدُهُ فَغَيْرُهُ بِالْأَوْلَى، فَاَلَّذِي يَنْبَغِي التَّعْوِيلُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْمَدْهُوشِ وَنَحْوِهِ إنَاطَةُ الْحُكْمِ بِغَلَبَةِ الْخَلَلِ فِي أَقْوَالِهِ وَأَفْعَالِهِ الْخَارِجَةِ عَنْ عَادَتِهِ، وَكَذَا يُقَالُ فِيمَنْ اخْتَلَّ عَقْلُهُ لِكِبَرٍ أَوْ لِمَرَضٍ أَوْ لِمُصِيبَةٍ فَاجَأَتْهُ: فَمَا دَامَ فِي حَالِ غَلَبَةِ الْخَلَلِ فِي الْأَقْوَالِ وَالْأَفْعَالِ لَا تُعْتَبَرُ أَقْوَالُهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُهَا وَيُرِيدُهَا لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ الْمَعْرِفَةَ وَالْإِرَادَةَ غَيْرُ مُعْتَبَرَةٍ لِعَدَمِ حُصُولِهَا عَنْ الْإِدْرَاكِ صَحِيحٌ كَمَا لَا تُعْتَبَرُ مِنْ الصَّبِيِّ الْعَاقِلِ نَعَمْ يُشْكِلُ عَلَيْهِ مَا سَيَأْتِي فِي التَّعْلِيقِ عَنْ الْبَحْرِ. وَصَرَّحَ بِهِ فِي الْفَتْحِ وَالْخَانِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا، وَهُوَ: لَوْ طَلَّقَ فَشَهِدَ عِنْدَهُ اثْنَانِ أَنَّك اسْتَثْنَيْت وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ذَاكِرٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ بِحَيْثُ إذَا غَضِبَ لَا يَدْرِي مَا يَقُولُ وَسِعَهُ الْأَخْذُ بِشَهَادَتِهِمَا وَإِلَّا لَا اهـ مُقْتَضَاهُ أَنَّهُ إذَا كَانَ لَا يَدْرِي مَا يَقُولُ يَقَعُ طَلَاقُهُ وَإِلَّا فَلَا حَاجَةَ إلَى الْأَخْذِ بِقَوْلِهِمَا إنَّك اسْتَثْنَيْت، وَهَذَا مُشْكِلٌ جِدًّا، وَإِلَّا أَنْ يُجَابَ بِأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِكَوْنِهِ لَا يَدْرِي مَا يَقُولُ أَنَّهُ لِقُوَّةِ غَضَبِهِ قَدْ يَنْسَى مَا يَقُولُ وَلَا يَتَذَكَّرُهُ بَعْدُ، وَلَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ أَنَّهُ صَارَ يَجْرِي عَلَى لِسَانِهِ مَا لَا يَفْهَمُهُ أَوْ لَا يَقْصِدُهُ إذْ لَا شَكَّ أَنَّهُ حِينَئِذٍ يَكُونُ فِي أَعْلَى مَرَاتِبِ الْجُنُونِ، وَيُؤَيِّدُهُ هَذَا الْحَمْلُ أَنَّهُ فِي هَذَا الْفَرْعِ عَالِمٌ بِأَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ وَهُوَ قَاصِدٌ لَهُ، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَتَذَكَّرْ الِاسْتِثْنَاءَ لِشِدَّةِ غَضَبِهِ، هَذَا مَا ظَهَرَ لِي فِي تَحْرِيرِ هَذَا الْمَقَامِ، وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِحَقِيقَةِ الْمَرَامِ ثُمَّ رَأَيْت مَا يُؤَيِّدُ ذَلِكَ الْجَوَابَ، وَهُوَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي الْوَلْوَالِجيَّةِ: إنْ كَانَ بِحَالٍ لَوْ غَضِبَ يَجْرِي عَلَى لِسَانِهِ مَا لَا يَحْفَظُهُ بَعْدَهُ جَازَ لَهُ الِاعْتِمَادُ عَلَى قَوْلِ الشَّاهِدَيْنِ، فَقَوْلُهُ لَا يَحْفَظُهُ بَعْدَهُ صَرِيحٌ فِيمَا قُلْنَا وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ