Ruling on Divorce Issued During the Wife’s Apostasy

22-4-2026 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Please advice me. Barakallahu feek. My wife apostated after a quarrel and then I divorced her during the iddah period of her apostacy. I want to reconcile with her and marry her again provided she embraces Islam again to preserve our kids din since they are still young. I want to know if the divorce counts in this scenario. Jazakallahu khairan

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His Slave and Messenger.

If the wife returns to Islam before the completion of her waiting period, then she has returned to your marriage, and the divorce issued during her apostasy is counted.

Shaykh Zakariyya al-Ansaari stated in Asna al-Mataalib:

“If he divorces her while in apostasy, the divorce is suspended. If Islam then brings them both together again during the waiting period, we determine that the divorce took effect; otherwise, it does not.” [End quote.]

Accordingly, if you have not already issued two divorces before this, there is no impediment to taking her back after her return to Islam. The divorce you issued during her apostasy is counted as a valid divorce, and there is no need to renew the marriage contract.

Allah Knows best.