Does Googling Divorce and Typing “I Divorced You,” etc., Have Any Effect on One’s Marriage?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I’m thinking of a strange question. To search for divorce-related questions on the internet, we sometimes type “I divorced my wife” or “I divorced my wife in anger” or other explicit statements. It is absolutely not to divorce the wife, but rather to search for relevant questions on the topic, we simply type such statements into Google. Is this going to have any effect on our nikah?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Allah Most High continue to increase you in happiness in your marriage, amin.
Google searching and typing sentences like the above will not effect one’s marriage (nikah). Rest assured, it will not have any consequence in your marriage.
Words that do not explicitly and clearly express the severing of marital bond require an intention or circumstantial indications, like the discussion of separation and divorce is taking place. [Ibn ’Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Leave What Makes You Doubt
I advise you to avoid searching these type of questions or reading them, unless it is part of your seeking knowledge and studies.
Hasan ibn Ali (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt. Verily, truth brings peace of mind and falsehood sows doubt.” [Tirmidhi]
Reader:
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
