Divorce During Extreme Anger

11-12-2018 | IslamWeb

Question:

Divorce in Partially Insane Condition caused by Extreme Anger : A Muslim couple with 10 years of married life

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

No matter how intense is the anger of an angry person, his divorce takes effect as long as he is conscious and aware of what he says.

Ar-Rahaybaani from the Hanbali School of jurisprudence, said in Mataalib uli An-Nuha: "Divorce takes effect from an angry husband who did not completely lose his mind." [End of quote]

This is the view of the majority of the scholars.

However, some scholars are of the view that the divorce of an angry person does not take place if he is in extreme anger even if he did not completely lose (control over) his mind. This is the view chosen by Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Al-Qayyim .

The view we adopt here in Islamweb however, is the view of the majority of the scholars.

The other view is also a strong view and it is acceptable to adopt it in order to repel harm, such as when the divorce is the third one and the like.

We warn against anger as it is a door to much evil; it is for this reason that the Sharee’ah warned us against it. Abu Hurayrah narrated that a man asked the Prophet for advice, and the Prophet told him: "Do not get angry." The man asked many times for advice, and the Prophet repeated again the same answer: "Do not get angry." [Al-Bukhaari]

Ibn Rajab said in Jaami’ Al-‘Uloom Wal-Hikam: "This is evidence that anger includes (and leads to) all evil matters, and that avoiding it comprises all goodness." [End of quote]

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 130287, 126164 and 245707.

Allah knows best.