Can You Give Divorce by Text in Islam? Key Insights and Guidelines

Hi, dear readers! Are you looking for an explanation of "Can you give divorce by text in Islam?"? If your answer is "Yes," congratulations! You are now reading the right article. Why? Because that's what I will explain here. As Muslims, it’s essential for us to understand this topic. That's why I wrote this article, so you should read it to the end!

Specifically, I will discuss three important points about "Can you give divorce by text?" in this article. The three key points are as follows:

Can You Give Divorce by Text in Islam?

The first important point about "Can you give divorce by text in Islam?" is what I’m going to explain now: a specific answer. I want you to understand this before you read any further explanations in this article.

By the way, have you read the explanation about "What does divorce mean in Islam?" which I wrote in some previous articles? I highly recommend you read it. In that article, there is an explanation of the literal meaning of divorce and the meaning of divorce in Islam. I want you to understand "What is divorce?" first so that you can grasp the topic of this discussion well.

In the article about "What does divorce mean in Islam?", I have explained some aspects of "the literal meaning of divorce and the meaning of divorce in Islam." One of the "literal meanings of divorce" is as follows:

اِنْفِصَالُ أَحَدِ الزَّوْجَيْنِ عَنِ الْآخَرِ

This translates to: "The separation of one partner from the other (the separation of husband and wife)."

One of the meanings of divorce in Islam is as follows:

إِزَالَةُ عَقْدِ النِّكَاحِ بِلَفْظٍ مَخْصُوْصٍ ، أَوْ بِكُلِّ لَفْظٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَى الطَّلَاقِ

This means: "Elimination of the marriage contract with certain words or with any words that indicate divorce."

In Islamic legal terminology, divorce is the annulment of the marriage contract (aqd an-nikah) using words that denote divorce. Because of this, many Muslims understand that divorce consists of specific phrases that must be spoken, such as "I divorce you." This is what leads to confusion among some Muslims when a husband gives "divorce by text" to his wife.

According to the majority of Islamic jurists, a text is not a clear expression. A text is another form of communication and lacks the clarity of spoken words.

Thus, a divorce given through text will be valid only if two conditions, or two divorce rules, are met. In other words, if you are an adult, aware that it is a divorce, and not under duress (unless the duress comes from a court), and you write a divorce statement to your wife who is not menstruating and not after sexual intercourse, then the divorce is valid.

In simple terms, you can give a divorce by text if both divorce conditions or rules are met.

That’s a brief explanation of "Can you give divorce by text in Islam?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

Is Divorce Valid via SMS in Islam?

The second important question about "Can you give divorce by text in Islam?" that I will explain now is, "Is divorce valid via SMS in Islam?" I want you to understand this because some Muslims may do it. It’s essential to grasp this well.

In the previous paragraphs, I have explained that "you can give divorce with text if there is a niyyah (intention) for divorce." Generally, people understand text as writing on paper that is given to the wife. But "Is divorce valid via SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, or similar applications?"

One important aspect of "divorce by text" that I want to clarify here is that it is a method of giving divorce. It will be valid if all the conditions for divorce have been met.

In other words, "divorce via SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, and similar applications" is valid if both divorce conditions or rules are satisfied.

That’s a brief explanation of "Is divorce valid via SMS in Islam?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

How Do You Write Divorce in Islam?

The third important question regarding "Can you give divorce by text in Islam?" is "How do you write a divorce in Islam?" I want you to understand this so you know what to write if you decide to proceed. However, I strongly discourage you from giving your wives a divorce unless you are compelled to do so, because although divorce is lawful in Islam, Allah dislikes it.

One important point I want to clarify before I delve deeper into "How do you write a divorce in Islam?" is that "divorce by text" can be expressed clearly or incoherently (through parables or satire), just as divorce can be pronounced clearly or incoherently (using similar methods).

Thus, there are two ways to write divorce with text:

• You can write a divorce with clear wording, such as "I divorce you," "You are no longer my wife," and so on.
• You can write a divorce using a parable or satire, such as "Your body is like my mother’s body," or "You are like my sister," along with the niyyah (intention) for divorce.

That’s a brief explanation of "How do you write a divorce in Islam?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

This is a quick overview of "Can you give divorce by text in Islam?" and some important points about it. Do you understand? If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

I think that’s enough for this article. I hope it is useful. Ameen.

See you again in the next article!