Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

question about backbiting and divorce

· 27 Ramadan 1422 AH1 min readFatwa 4366English

Question

Assalamu alaikum I am divorcing my wife. At our mesjid, people have asked me why I am divorcing her. It is because she committed adultery. I don?t want anyone to think that I am divorcing her without good reason, but I also don?t want to engage in backbiting. Can I tell people who ask me why I am divorcing her that it is because she committed adultery or would that be considered backbiting?

Answer

Rasulullah (SAW) said, The worst thing among permissible things is divorce. If it is at all possible to avoid a divorce and address the problem at hand, you should do so. The act of adultery is indeed a heinous act. If your wife regrets the act and sincerely repents, then you may consider forgiving her. That attitude may be a turning point in her life as well as invoke Allah's mercy and forgiveness for you. Should you divorce her, then you may inform only her seniors and not all and sundry. You may inform people enquiring from you that you had a Sharee, justifiable reason to divorce her and you had discussed the matter with her seniors. You do not want to engage in backbiting.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.

Answered by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/4366
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-4366

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