FatwaFederal TerritoriesMarriage & Family
AL-KAFI #1014: CERAI MENGGUNAKAN APLIKASI WHATSAPP
What is the ruling on divorcing one's wife through WhatsApp on the suspicion that she committed adultery with another man?
Short answer
A divorce pronouncement sent through WhatsApp is treated as an implicit (kinayah) talaq, so it takes effect only if the husband intended divorce when sending the message.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Marriage & Family
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
A divorce pronouncement sent through WhatsApp is treated as an implicit (kinayah) talaq, so it takes effect only if the husband intended divorce when sending the message. Without that intention, no divorce occurs. If the message is a conditional divorce (ta'liq) stating that talaq applies if the wife truly committed adultery, it takes effect when the stated condition occurs. All divorces must be brought to the Syariah Court for confirmation.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
talak dalam bentuk tulisan yang jelas daripada suami yang ditujukan kepada isterinya secara khusus seperti melalui faksimili, SMS, e-mel dan sebagainya merupakan talak secara kinayah dan ianya adalah sah sekiranya disertai dengan niat.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1014: CERAI MENGGUNAKAN APLIKASI WHATSAPP”, 31 December 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2967-al-kafi-1014-cerai-menggunakan-aplikasi-whatsapp. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-divorce-wife-via-whatsapp/