Talaq uttered by man on mobile valid, says fatwa

Talaq uttered thrice by a Muslim man on a mobile phone will be considered valid even if his wife is unable to hear it all the three times due to network and other problems, a fresh fatwa has ruled.

The fatwa was issued by Darul-Ifta, the fatwa department of leading Sunni Islamic seminary Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband, in reply to a query by a man.

The man had asked that in case no witness was present when he utters talaq thrice to his wife over the phone, whether it would be considered valid or not.

“I said talaq three times to my wife on the cellphone, but she claimed that she didn’t hear it even once and nobody was around both of us. Please tell me whether talaq has taken place,” he said.

In its reply, Dar-ul-Ifta said, “If you have given three talaqs to your wife, all the three took place and she became haram for you.”

The fatwa said the woman will be free to marry anywhere she likes after her iddat (three-month period after divorce) is over. “It is not necessary for talaq to take place only if the wife hears it or witnesses are present,” it said.