What is the effect of divorce before consummation?
Short answer
Divorce before consummation has rulings that differ from divorce after consummation. In the case summarized by the cited source, a single divorce before consummation ends the marriage, and returning to the woman requires a new marriage contract if she agrees.
Evidence and explanation
The source explains the ruling in the case presented and states that returning to the woman in that situation requires a new marriage contract.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
حكم طلاق المرأة قبل الدخول بها — فتوى ١٣٨٤٩- Question
«هذا سؤال من المستمع (م. ح. ش. ع) من الأردن، عمان، المفرق، يقول: أنا شخص عقدت على فتاة عقد زواج رسمي، وفي يوم من الأيام غضبت من الأهل عندما كانوا يتكلمون معي في عمل يخص مخطوبتي، فتلفظت بكلمة: طالقة، ورددتها ثلاث مرات، دون أن تعلم هي، وإلى الآن لم تعلم، فهل وقع الطلاق هنا وما نوعية الطلاق؟ أفيدوني، جزاكم الله خيرًا.»
English translation (unreviewed): This is a question from the listener (M. H. Sh. 'A.) from Jordan, Amman, al-Mafraq. He says: I contracted an official marriage contract with a girl, and one day I became angry with the family when they were talking to me about a matter concerning my fiancée, so I uttered the word 'divorced', and repeated it three times, without her knowing, and until now she has not known. Has divorce taken place here, and what kind of divorce? Advise me, may Allah reward you.
- From the text of the answer
«إذا كان الواقع هو ما ذكره السائل، فإنه يقع لها طلقة واحدة فقط، إذا كان لم يدخل بها، إنما عقد، ولكن لم يدخل بها، فإنه يقع عليها طلقة واحدة، وله العود لها بنكاح جديد، بعقد جديد، من غير حاجة إلى زوج جديد، بل نكاح جديد، يكفي، والطلاق الثاني والثالث لا يلحقها؛ لأن المرأة إذا لم يدخل بها لا يلحقها إلا طلقة واحدة، تبينها بينونة صغرى، والطلاق الثاني والثالث لا يلحق؛ لأنها ليست في عدة، وله العود إليها بنكاح جديد إذا رضيت بذلك كخاطب من الخطاب.»
English translation (unreviewed): If the facts are as the questioner mentioned, then only one divorce takes place for her, if he had not consummated the marriage, only contracted; if he did not consummate, one divorce takes place, and he may return to her with a new marriage, a new contract, without the need for another husband, but a new marriage suffices. The second and third divorces do not take effect, because a woman who has not been consummated with is subject to only one divorce, which makes her irrevocably separated in the minor sense, and the second and third do not take effect because she is not in a waiting period; and he may return to her with a new marriage if she agrees, as one of the suitors.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
Ruling on divorcing a woman before consummation
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him