Wife Initiating A Divorce

QUESTION:

What ruling is applied in the case of the wife forcing a divorce, i.e. Faskh? Is it still the responsibility of the husband to maintain her?

ANSWER:

In principle, if a wife compels her husband to issue a divorce without a valid Shar’iee justification—such as by engaging in an impermissible act (for example, allowing her husband’s son to kiss her or exercise inappropriate control over her), or by leaving the fold of Islam (may Allah Ta’ala, Most High, protect us)—then she is not entitled to maintenance during her Iddah. However, if the divorce is indirectly initiated from her side, but the fault lies with the husband and not with her, she will remain entitled to full maintenance for the duration of her Iddah.

  الهداية في شرح بداية المبتدي (2/ 290)

” وكل فرقة جاءت من قبل المرأة بمعصية مثل الردة وتقبيل ابن الزوج فلا نفقة لها ” لأنها صارت حابسة نفسها بغير حق فصارت كما إذا كانت ناشزة بخلاف المهر بعد الدخول لأنه وجد التسليم في حق المهر بالوطء وبخلاف ما إذا جاءت الفرقة من قبلها بغير معصية كخيار العتق وخيار البلوغ والتفريق لعدم الكفاءة لأنها حبست نفسها بحق وذلك لا يسقط النفقة كما إذا حبست نفسها لاستيفاء المهر.

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abdur Rahman Abdur Razak

Date: 02 Jumaadal-Ulaa 1446 / 24 October 2025

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb