Chapter on Divorce According to the Sunnah

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ لَا طَلَاقَ إِلَّا عَلَى السُّنَّةِ إِنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ طَلَّقَ ثَلَاثاً فِي مَجْلِسٍ وَ امْرَأَتُهُ حَائِضٌ‌[3] فَرَدَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص طَلَاقَهُ وَ قَالَ مَا خَالَفَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ رُدَّ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ‌[4].

"It is not appropriate for a man to divorce his wife and then reconcile with her when he has no need or intention for her, only to divorce her again. This is the harm (ḍirar) that Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, has forbidden. However, if he divorces her and then reconciles with her with the sincere intention of

لِامْرَأَتِهِ إِنْ تَزَوَّجْتُ عَلَيْكِ أَوْ بِتُّ عَنْكِ‌[5] فَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ مَنْ شَرَطَ شَرْطاً سِوَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمْ يَجُزْ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا لَهُ‌[6]- قَالَ وَ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ كُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ أَتَزَوَّجُهَا مَا عَاشَتْ أُمِّي فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ لَا طَلَاقَ إِلَّا بَعْدَ نِكَاحٍ وَ لَا عِتْقَ إِلَّا بَعْدَ مِلْكٍ.

فِي رَجُلٍ قَالَ امْرَأَتُهُ طَالِقٌ وَ مَمَالِيكُهُ أَحْرَارٌ إِنْ شَرِبْتُ حَرَاماً أَوْ حَلَالًا مِنَ الطِّلَاءِ[1] أَبَداً فَقَالَ أَمَّا الْحَرَامُ فَلَا يَقْرَبْهُ أَبَداً إِنْ حَلَفَ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَحْلِفْ وَ أَمَّا الطِّلَاءُ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يُحَرِّمَ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ‌[2] قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ ما أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ‌ فَلَا يَجُوزُ يَمِينٌ فِي تَحْرِيمِ حَلَال

قَامَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَمِيرِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي طَلَّقْتُ اِمْرَأَتِي لِلْعِدَّةِ بِغَيْرِ شُهُودٍ فَقَالَ "لَيْسَ طَلاَقُكَ بِطَلاَقٍ فَارْجِعْ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ".

A man stood before the Commander of the Faithful (as) and said: "I divorced my wife during her waiting period (ʿiddah) without any witnesses." Imam (as) replied: "Your divorce is not valid. Return to your wife."

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا طَلَّقَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ وَ أَشْهَدَ شَاهِدَيْنِ عَدْلَيْنِ فِي قُبُلِ عِدَّتِهَا فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا أَوْ يُرَاجِعَهَا[1].

"If a man divorces his wife and brings two just witnesses to bear witness to it during her waiting period ('iddah), he cannot divorce her again after that until her waiting period ends or he reconciles with her."

وَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌[2] فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنِّي طَلَّقْتُ امْرَأَتِي فَقَالَ أَ لَكَ بَيِّنَةٌ فَقَالَ لَا فَقَالَ اعْزُبْ‌[3].

Hadith.4756 - A man came to the Commander of the Faithful (as) and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, I have divorced my wife." Imam (as) asked: "Do you have any evidence (witnesses)?" The man replied: "No." So Imam (as) said: "Be gone (uʿzub)."

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌[1] لَوْ وُلِّيتُ النَّاسَ لَعَلَّمْتُهُمُ الطَّلَاقَ وَ كَيْفَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ أَنْ يُطَلِّقُوا ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ أُتِيتُ بِرَجُلٍ قَدْ خَالَفَهُ لَأَوْجَعْتُ ظَهْرَهُ وَ مَنْ طَلَّقَ لِغَيْرِ السُّنَّةِ رُدَّ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ إِنْ رَغِمَ أَنْفُهُ.

Hadith.4757 - Abu Jafar Imam Al-Baqir (as) said: "If I were to govern the people, I would teach them the correct way to divorce and how it should be carried out." Then Imam (as) added: "If someone were brought to me who opposed this (correct method), I would strike his back severely. Whoever divorces in a manner contra

فِي بَيْتِهَا لَا تَخْرُجُ فَإِنْ أَرَادَتْ زِيَارَةً خَرَجَتْ قَبْلَ نِصْفِ اللَّيْلِ وَ رَجَعَتْ بَعْدَ نِصْفِ اللَّيْلِ‌[2] وَ لَا تَخْرُجُ نَهَاراً وَ لَيْسَ لَهَا أَنْ تَحُجَّ حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا[3].

Hadith.4758 - Samaʿah asked Abu Abdullah (as) about where a divorced woman should observe her waiting period (ʿiddah). Imam (as) replied: "In her house; she should not leave. If she wishes to visit someone, she may go out before midnight and return after midnight. She should not go out during the day, and she is not pe

إِلَّا أَنْ تَزْنِيَ فَتُخْرَجَ وَ يُقَامَ عَلَيْهَا الْحَدُّ[4].

Hadith.4759 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about the saying of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic: "And fear Allah (swt), your Lord (azj). Do not expel them from their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear immorality" (Surah At-Talaq 65:1). Imam (as) replied: "Except if she commi

كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصَّفَّارُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع‌ فِي امْرَأَةٍ طَلَّقَهَا زَوْجُهَا وَ لَمْ يُجْرِ عَلَيْهَا النَّفَقَةَ لِلْعِدَّةِ وَ هِيَ مُحْتَاجَةٌ هَلْ يَجُوزُ لَهَا أَنْ تَخْرُجَ وَ تَبِيتَ عَنْ مَنْزِلِهَا لِلْعَمَلِ وَ الْحَاجَةِ فَوَقَّعَ ع لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ إِذَا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ الصِّحَّةَ مِنْهَا.

Hadith.4760 - Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan Al-Saffar (may Allah (swt) be pleased with him) wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan ibn Ali (as) asking about a woman who was divorced by her husband, and he did not provide her with maintenance (nafaqah) during her waiting period (ʿiddah) while she was in need. "Is it permissible fo

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ لا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِراراً لِتَعْتَدُوا قَالَ الرَّجُلُ يُطَلِّقُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَادَتْ أَنْ يَخْلُوَ أَجَلُهَا رَاجَعَهَا ثُمَّ طَلَّقَهَا يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَنَهَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَنْ ذَلِكَ‌[5].

لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ ثُمَّ يُرَاجِعَهَا وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ‌

رَوَى الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ الصَّحَّافُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ‌ أَنَّ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى الرِّضَا ع كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ فِيمَا كَتَبَ مِنْ جَوَابِ مَسَائِلِهِ عِلَّةُ الطَّلَاقِ ثَلَاثاً لِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْمُهْلَةِ فِيمَا بَيْنَ الْوَاحِدَةِ إِلَى الثَّلَاثِ لِرَغْبَةٍ تَحْدُثُ أَوْ سُكُونِ غَضَبٍ إِنْ كَانَ وَ لْيَكُنْ ذَلِكَ تَخْوِيفاً وَ تَأْدِيباً لِلنِّسَاءِ وَ زَجْراً لَهُنَّ عَنْ مَعْصِ

Hadith.4763 - Al-Qasim ibn al-Rabiʿ al-Ṣaḥḥaf narrated from Muḥammad ibn Sinan that Abu al-Ḥasan Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) wrote to him in response to his questions: "The reason for allowing divorce up to three times is to provide a period of reflection between each instance, from the first to the third, for any

سَأَلْتُ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنِ اَلْعِلَّةِ اَلَّتِي مِنْ أَجْلِهَا لاَ تَحِلُّ اَلْمُطَلَّقَةُ لِلْعِدَّةِ لِزَوْجِهَا "حَتّٰى تَنْكِحَ زَوْجاً غَيْرَهُ" فَقَالَ "إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِنَّمَا أَذِنَ فِي اَلطَّلاَقِ مَرَّتَيْنِ فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ۝ اَلطَّلاٰقُ مَرَّتٰانِ فَإِمْسٰاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسٰانٍ ۝ يَعْنِي فِي اَلتَّطْلِيقَةِ اَلثَّالِثَةِ فَلِدُخُولِهِ فِيمَا كَرِه

Hadith.4764 - Ali ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Ali ibn Faḍḍal narrated from his father that he asked Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) about the reason why a woman divorced for the third time (ṭalaq al-ʿidda) does not become lawful again for her husband "until she marries another husband". Imam (as) replied: "Indeed, Allah (swt), th

الْمُطَلَّقَةُ ثَلَاثاً لَيْسَ لَهَا نَفَقَةٌ عَلَى زَوْجِهَا وَ لَا سُكْنَى إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ لِلَّتِي لِزَوْجِهَا عَلَيْهَا رَجْعَةٌ.