Divorce via Text Messages

Ustadh Tabraze Azam is asked if divorcing three times in anger over the phone is binding.

A friend of mine approached me saying that he had a misunderstanding with his wife, who is not staying with him, upon visiting her at her place.

He left her place and on the way, because he couldn’t reach her on her phone, he sent a text message saying that he divorced her three times. An act he later regretted.

He would like to know if the divorce is binding or not?

The question is quite unclear. Statements of divorce are utterances of serious consequence, and judgements cannot be made on transmissions of what was said. If the person in question would like a specific answer, he needs to explain the situation with clarity and then state exactly what he said.

Otherwise, the basis is that the overwhelming majority of scholars deem the clear utterance of three divorces to count as three, and accordingly the marriage would be over. It is imperative that everybody who marries learns the rulings of marriage and divorce so they can avoid harmful outcomes.

Please also see The Ruling on Divorcing While Angry and Pronouncing Three Divorces.

And Allah Most High knows best.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam