Tuesday 24 September 2013

WHEN AND HOW CAN A COUPLE REMARRY BY HADIA AWAN?



Before going into the details of legitimacy of re marriage let us differentiate it from `reconciliation' or `rijaat'.

In rejaat, husband and wife can reconcile before talaq gets effective; whereas re marriage is performed after divorce becomes effective.61 The Quranic concept of rija'at is:

"A divorce may be revoked twice; whereupon the marriage must either be resumed in fairness or dissolved in a goodly manner".62

According to the dictionary of Islam63 Rija'at means,

53. Albanaya Shara ul Hadiya

54. Murqat shara MushkawatVol.7 P.443

55 Exegesis of al-Quran

56. Tafseer-e-haqqani

57. Bahishti zewer

58. Muariful Quran vol:1, p.558-559

59. Tafseer Haqaani

60. Mr. Shahid Naqvi, al-aarif, monthly, February 1996

61. Rejaat: the reconciliation by husband during the persistence of idda.

Re marriage: re solemnization of marriage inter se the same couple after divorce.

62. Al Quran, 2:229, Dr Asad elaborates in the explanation ...."In other words, a third pronouncement of divorce makes it final and irrevocable"

63. Hughes Patrick Thomas, A Dictionary of Islam, 1885, pg533(Hidaya,vol:1 pg.289)

"Restitution...[r]eceiving back a wife who has been divorced, before the time has fully elapsed when the divorce must of necessity take place. In other words continuance of the Marriage bond"

With prefix of "re" before "marriage" means the re-doing of contract of marriage. According to Muslim scholars the purpose of marriage is the procreation and legalization of children. Remarriage is a condition where previous marriage has been rescinded by divorce and new marriage has commenced between same spouses for the same object. A necessary condition for this marriage is that divorce must be effective between the parties. As there are more than one mode and kind of divorcing so the effectiveness of divorce varies not only with the kind but with the mode of divorcing. Before going ahead let's review these modes and kinds vis-a-vis their effectiveness.

It means that remarriage is the re arrangement of marriage whereas Rijaat is the reconciliation between spouses during idda. There is no requirement of any formal or express action for reconciliation. Upon Rijaat marriage is refreshed from the point where it was dissolved. On the other hand re marriage is actually the re arrangement of the contract of marriage. It carries all liabilities and rights of fresh marriage. It could be said that this is a pact de novo64.

It should be clear that when it is said that a man divorces his wife irrevocably, that means the marriage is dissolved for all purposes. He is allowed to re marry the same woman and if he divorces her for the second time; again he is allowed to remarry her. Thereafter if he divorces her for the third time, this woman becomes (haram) for him. He cannot contract marriage with her in natural probability of circumstances.

The same is not the case with reconciliation; the spouses carry on with the previous contract of marriage and there is no need of any fresh contract.

Holy Qur'an ordains in Al-Baqra,

"And if the husband divorces his wife (for the third time) she shall not remain his lawful wife after this absolute divorce ... 65

64. Fresh agreement between the parties

65. 2.230

A plain meaning of the holy verse is that a man can remarry his wife short of three validly effective divorces. However the marriage is not permissible if he divorces her for the third time; the woman is forbidden for him after divorce for the third time.

It's narrated by Sayed Hasan Basri that Maaqal Bin Bisyar got his sister married with a man who divorced her. Afterwards that man realized that he had committed a wrong. The idda had elapsed. He requested Maaqal to permit him to remarry his sister but he refused by saying that he divorced his chaste sister now he would not give her again into his nikah. Then the following ayat mubarikah of Surah Al Baqrah were revealed.

`And when you divorce woman, and they have come to the end of their waiting term., hinder them not from marrying other men if they have agreed with each other in fair manner'.66

Upon this revelation Maaqal agreed to give his sister in remarriage to the same man67.

According to Abdullah Bin Abbas; Rukana (p.b.u.h.) divorced his wife thrice in one sitting and repented afterwards and went to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) for a resolve. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) asked him about the mode of divorce. He replied that he had pronounced divorce thrice in one sitting. Upon that the Prophet of God (p.b.u.h.) said that the divorce would be considered as one and he could reconcile with his wife after idda. The holy companion reconciled with his wife accordingly.68

According to Hidaya if a Muslim divorces his wife irrevocably, short of three divorces (in case she is a free woman and in case of the slave, twice), he can re marry her but not afterwards.69

66. 2:232

67. Ibn e Lal Din; halala ki chhuri, 50, 51 also available at :http://www.esnips.com/user/islam/urdu.

68. Masnad e Ahmad 265/1, behequi 339/7, fatahul bari 363/9, masnad abi yaala musti (2495)65/3

69. Hamilton Charles, Hidaya 186, by Sheikh Burhanuddin Abi Al Hasan Ali Marghinani, Reprinted (2005)

In light of the mode and kind of divorce the possibility of remarriage varies as follows:

In cases where talaq is given through ahsan mode this is one effective divorce and man can remarry the same spouse but not if this divorce is given for the third time.

In cases of talaq by hasan mode according to Quranic principle man can marry the same woman after two such talaqs but not after the third time.

In cases where talaq is given by mughlliza mode, there is divergence of view of the scholars; some consider three pronouncements as one effective talaq but others take three pronouncements as three talaqs at a time.

If first view is followed that means, till third such divorce, the course of remarriage is open. But if second view is taken, the woman is now prohibited for man.

In all other three types of divorces i.e. khula, mubara'at and judicial divorce; divorce is effective according to the law of the land and possibility of remarriage is there. The limitation of two talaqs is applicable only in case of divorce through "talaq". In all other dissolutions this limitation is not applicable70

70. PLD 2003 Pesh. 169


Before going into the details of legitimacy of re marriage let us differentiate it from `reconciliation' or `rijaat'.

In rejaat, husband and wife can reconcile before talaq gets effective; whereas re marriage is performed after divorce becomes effective.61 The Quranic concept of rija'at is:

"A divorce may be revoked twice; whereupon the marriage must either be resumed in fairness or dissolved in a goodly manner".62

According to the dictionary of Islam63 Rija'at means,

53. Albanaya Shara ul Hadiya

54. Murqat shara MushkawatVol.7 P.443

55 Exegesis of al-Quran

56. Tafseer-e-haqqani

57. Bahishti zewer

58. Muariful Quran vol:1, p.558-559

59. Tafseer Haqaani

60. Mr. Shahid Naqvi, al-aarif, monthly, February 1996

61. Rejaat: the reconciliation by husband during the persistence of idda.

Re marriage: re solemnization of marriage inter se the same couple after divorce.

62. Al Quran, 2:229, Dr Asad elaborates in the explanation ...."In other words, a third pronouncement of divorce makes it final and irrevocable"

63. Hughes Patrick Thomas, A Dictionary of Islam, 1885, pg533(Hidaya,vol:1 pg.289)

"Restitution...[r]eceiving back a wife who has been divorced, before the time has fully elapsed when the divorce must of necessity take place. In other words continuance of the Marriage bond"

With prefix of "re" before "marriage" means the re-doing of contract of marriage. According to Muslim scholars the purpose of marriage is the procreation and legalization of children. Remarriage is a condition where previous marriage has been rescinded by divorce and new marriage has commenced between same spouses for the same object. A necessary condition for this marriage is that divorce must be effective between the parties. As there are more than one mode and kind of divorcing so the effectiveness of divorce varies not only with the kind but with the mode of divorcing. Before going ahead let's review these modes and kinds vis-a-vis their effectiveness.

It means that remarriage is the re arrangement of marriage whereas Rijaat is the reconciliation between spouses during idda. There is no requirement of any formal or express action for reconciliation. Upon Rijaat marriage is refreshed from the point where it was dissolved. On the other hand re marriage is actually the re arrangement of the contract of marriage. It carries all liabilities and rights of fresh marriage. It could be said that this is a pact de novo64.

It should be clear that when it is said that a man divorces his wife irrevocably, that means the marriage is dissolved for all purposes. He is allowed to re marry the same woman and if he divorces her for the second time; again he is allowed to remarry her. Thereafter if he divorces her for the third time, this woman becomes (haram) for him. He cannot contract marriage with her in natural probability of circumstances.

The same is not the case with reconciliation; the spouses carry on with the previous contract of marriage and there is no need of any fresh contract.

Holy Qur'an ordains in Al-Baqra,

"And if the husband divorces his wife (for the third time) she shall not remain his lawful wife after this absolute divorce ... 65

64. Fresh agreement between the parties

65. 2.230

A plain meaning of the holy verse is that a man can remarry his wife short of three validly effective divorces. However the marriage is not permissible if he divorces her for the third time; the woman is forbidden for him after divorce for the third time.

It's narrated by Sayed Hasan Basri that Maaqal Bin Bisyar got his sister married with a man who divorced her. Afterwards that man realized that he had committed a wrong. The idda had elapsed. He requested Maaqal to permit him to remarry his sister but he refused by saying that he divorced his chaste sister now he would not give her again into his nikah. Then the following ayat mubarikah of Surah Al Baqrah were revealed.

`And when you divorce woman, and they have come to the end of their waiting term., hinder them not from marrying other men if they have agreed with each other in fair manner'.66

Upon this revelation Maaqal agreed to give his sister in remarriage to the same man67.

According to Abdullah Bin Abbas; Rukana (p.b.u.h.) divorced his wife thrice in one sitting and repented afterwards and went to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) for a resolve. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) asked him about the mode of divorce. He replied that he had pronounced divorce thrice in one sitting. Upon that the Prophet of God (p.b.u.h.) said that the divorce would be considered as one and he could reconcile with his wife after idda. The holy companion reconciled with his wife accordingly.68

According to Hidaya if a Muslim divorces his wife irrevocably, short of three divorces (in case she is a free woman and in case of the slave, twice), he can re marry her but not afterwards.69

66. 2:232

67. Ibn e Lal Din; halala ki chhuri, 50, 51 also available at :http://www.esnips.com/user/islam/urdu.

68. Masnad e Ahmad 265/1, behequi 339/7, fatahul bari 363/9, masnad abi yaala musti (2495)65/3

69. Hamilton Charles, Hidaya 186, by Sheikh Burhanuddin Abi Al Hasan Ali Marghinani, Reprinted (2005)

In light of the mode and kind of divorce the possibility of remarriage varies as follows:

In cases where talaq is given through ahsan mode this is one effective divorce and man can remarry the same spouse but not if this divorce is given for the third time.

In cases of talaq by hasan mode according to Quranic principle man can marry the same woman after two such talaqs but not after the third time.

In cases where talaq is given by mughlliza mode, there is divergence of view of the scholars; some consider three pronouncements as one effective talaq but others take three pronouncements as three talaqs at a time.

If first view is followed that means, till third such divorce, the course of remarriage is open. But if second view is taken, the woman is now prohibited for man.

In all other three types of divorces i.e. khula, mubara'at and judicial divorce; divorce is effective according to the law of the land and possibility of remarriage is there. The limitation of two talaqs is applicable only in case of divorce through "talaq". In all other dissolutions this limitation is not applicable70

70. PLD 2003 Pesh. 169


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