Talaq by Means of a Letter to the Father-in-Law

Question

Question: Zayd wrote a letter addressed to his father-in-law, the text of which is as follows: “After what is due: my poverty does not allow me to take my wife and live with her. It is my nature that more often than not I take upon myself the worries and troubles of others — how then should I, for the sake of this existence of mine, worthy of a hundred reproaches and useless, plunge others into torment, especially that being who is dearest to me in this world at this time?

Answer

(1) For talaq to take effect, an explicit mention of the wife or of her name is not necessary; an implied attribution (idafa ma‘nawiyya), from which it becomes known that he is giving talaq to his wife, is sufficient — and this is clearly present in this writing. Therefore talaq has taken effect.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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