Question:

Can a pregnant girl be given a divorce?

Answer

Bismillahi Ta’ala

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabrakatuh,

If a man gives his wife divorce while she is pregnant, then this divorce will take place.

The wife will sit for iddah (waiting period) until the birth of the baby.

If the divorce was a revocable divorce, then the husband has until the child’s birth to revoke this talaq and get together with the wife. If the husband does not revoke before the child birth, then divorce would become established and the only way for husband and wife to get back together is by re-newing the nikah with mutual consent. In this case, the right to divorce equivalent to the number of divorces given will be lost. So for example the husband gave one explicit divorce, now he will only have two rights of divorces left.

However, if the divorce was in non-revocable manner then the husband does not have any right to revoke, rather he will have to re-new the nikah with mutual consent whether during iddah or after.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Wassalamu `alaykum,

Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi

الدر المختار – دار الفكر(3/ 232)
(وحل طلاقهن) أي الآيسة والصغيرة والحامل

درر الحكام شرح غرر الأحكام (1/ 359)
(قوله: لتوهم الحبل وهو مفقود هنا) ضمير هو راجع للتوهم والإشارة بهنا إلى الآيسة والصغيرة والحامل؛ لأن الكراهة لاشتباه حال العدة إما بالأقراء إن لم يحصل علوق أو بالوضع إن حصل والاشتباه منتف فيهن لعدم خفاء أمر الحبل.