There are few things that cannot be accomplished by Internet these days. In an every more virtual reality, we can order dinner, buy a house, even meet the man/woman of our dreams at the click of a mouse.
The only condition, or so it would seem – is that there is no way back when “send” has been pressed. In the good old days, we had time to change our minds, but thanks to the World Wide Web, decisions, be they right or wrong, are made in a moment.
Nobody can be more aware of this than the Qatari gentleman who ended his marriage in a Skype conversation. Claiming to be a little green on Islam’s inner workings, the man jokingly typed talak, talak, talak (I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee) in the window of an online chat and before he could say “w8t a min” the digital deed was done.
No Way Out
“We love each other very much and want to be together but right now [we are] caught in this thing. Want to know a way out,” said the Qatari man, who has not been named, according to an article in The Telegraph.
An online fatwa by the Darul Uloom Deobandi seminary in northern India, – one of Islam’s leading authorities on religious law has ruled that if the couple want to remarry, the woman will have to marry another man before she can remarry her first husband.
Tough Love
“When you gave three talaqs, your wife became “haram” (forbidden) for you. Neither you have the right to take her back nor solemnise a new “nikah” (marriage) without a valid “halalah” (second marriage). After the completion of “iddah” (a three month waiting period following a divorce), the woman can marry whomever she wishes except you,” the fatwa stated.
The couple will have to wait at least six months to remarry and bear the strain of the wife remarrying, having sex with another man, and divorcing again.
“…the provision for Talaq in Islam is for unavoidable circumstances not for teasing or jokes,” Maulana Arshid Madani, President of Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind told The Telegraph.
Moral of the story? – take care when typing!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This gentlemen made a very insulting move. You just can’t tell anyone something like that over the phone, internet, whatever – at least be respectful and be with them in person.
Nice post. Two things I like about the post, one it is straight forward and two it does not attempt to promote anyone’s position particularly. I like this one Anisa.
Good post, keep up the good work… Anisa, What motivated you to call this blog “Truth in Jest: The Qatari Man who Accidentally Divorced via Skype”, not that the title does not go with the content, I am just wondering. Another good post Anisa.