Fatwa No : 77658
Reunion of the spouses after Court's unilateral Khula order

Reunion of the spouses after Court's unilateral Khula order

With due respect and courtesy, please issue a Sharia, legal and Islamic fatwa on the following points:
(1) The woman filed a petition for Khula, while I, as the husband, wanted to keep our marriage life intact, but the court issued the Khula order without asking for my consent or taking my signature on the Khula paper.
(2) After how long of such a Khula both parties can re-unite if they wish, with mutual consent? and under which conditions?, because during the waiting period of Iddat, the girl had started contacting her husband, whereas her family haf been refusing;
(3) Whether the consent of the parents or family is necessary for returning or can it be done according to Sharia law?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

It should be clear that Khula, like other financial contracts, is a contract, the validity of which requires the mutual consent of the parties and a formal offer and acceptance. Therefore, if the petitioner or the lawyer appointed by him has not actually signed the Khula papers, nor has he expressed his consent to it, then in such a case, since the marriage of the husband and wife has not ended with the unilateral Khula decree issued by the court, but rather it continues, the husband and wife can live together as before without renewing the marriage. Meanwhile, the questisoner’s family's refusal and not allowing the wife to settle down with her husband is unlawful according to Sharia, due to which they are also becoming grave sinners, for which they must sincerely repent and seek forgiveness and avoid becoming an obstacle between the husband and wife.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی احکام القرآن للجصاص: قال أصحابنا: إنهما لا يجوز خلعهما إلا برضى الزوجين, فقال أصحابنا: ليس للحكمين أن يفرقا إلا برضى الزوجين; لأن الحاكم لا يملك ذلك فكيف يملكه الحكمان؟ وإنما الحكمان وكيلان لهما أحدهما وكيل المرأة والآخر وكيل الزوج في الخلع(الی قولہ) وكيف يجوز للحكمين أن يخلعا بغير رضاه ويخرجا المال عن ملكها الخ ( ج2 ص 239 مطلب البیان من اللہ تعالی علی وجہین ط العلمیہ)۔
وفی بدائع الصنائع: ولأبي حنيفة أن الخلع في معنى المبارأة؛ لأن المبارأة مفاعلة من البراءة والإبراء إسقاط فكان إسقاطا من كل واحد من الزوجين الحقوق المتعلقة بالعقد المتنازع فيه كالمتخاصمين في الديون الخ ( ج 1 ص 151 فصل وأما حکم الخلع ط سعید)۔
وفی الھدایۃ: وإذا تشاق الزوجان وخافا أن لا يقيما حدود الله فلا بأس بأن تفتدي نفسها منه بمال يخلعها به(باب الخلع ج 2 ص96 ط: انعامیہ)۔