Having a Scribe Write the Talaq

Question

Question: Zayd said to a scribe: “Write my divorce deed.” Zayd’s scribe, as Zayd instructed, wrote Zayd’s divorce deed and read it out to Zayd. After that Zayd pressed his thumb onto the divorce deed, and he did not use the word “talaq” with his tongue. Has talaq befallen his wife through this divorce deed or not?

Answer

If Zayd too acknowledges having had this divorce deed written, then according to the Shari‘a talaq has taken effect, even though he did not give talaq with his tongue: [ar]ولو قال للكاتب: اكتب طلاق امرأتي، كان إقرارًا بالطلاق وإن لم يكتب، ولو استكتب من آخر كتابًا بطلاقها وقرأه على الزوج فأخذه الزوج وختمه وعنونه وبعث به إليها فأتاها وقع إن أقر الزوج أنه كتابه.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.