Back to search

What is the ruling of the Sharia on the spouses' return after repeated divorce without officially documenting the divorce? And what is the ruling on marriage without the family's knowledge or consent?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A woman who has been divorced three times by her husband is not permissible for him until she marries another man in a valid marriage and consummates it, on the condition that the intention is not to make her permissible for the first husband. The evidence for this is the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) concerning the wife of Rifa'ah al-Qurazi. It is not a condition for the registration of the divorce to register it with the ma'dhun (authorized marriage official).

As for a woman marrying without the permission of her guardian, it is invalid, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Any woman who marries without the permission of her guardian, her marriage is invalid." The family's choice of a husband based on his wealth is a mistake; rather, the criterion is religious commitment and character, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "If someone whose religious commitment and character you approve of comes to you seeking marriage, then marry him." If the family prevents the woman from marrying a suitable man, she has the right to refer the matter to the religious court.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy