Stipulating acceptance of khul‘ in a single meeting
Question

                We have been married for 7 years. We have 2 children. We got married for the sake of Allah and we still love each other. To get the islamic knowledge and help each other in religion and the dunya was our common aim.

Unfortunately, for the last few years we are not getting any Islamic knowledge, we have different opinions on many issues and we are not saticfied with each other. Recent years we were having conflicts. During one of these conflicts weve thought that there is no escape and I asked for hkulu. It was done due to emotions, hard feelings and pain. That time it seemed to be the best decision for both of us. So he left the house but as soon as he did this I called him and told him that I dont want khulu and I don't want separation.

By that time my husband already sent me message telling that he is letting me free but the hkulu will come into effect in 6 month and before that time we will live as husband and wife. So 4 months passed, many things changed, we have nice relationships and we don't want to leave each other anymore. My husband happend to be in difficult situation so I don't want to leave him alone. And it will be extreamly difficult for me to stay without him as well.

I know that we can make a nikah after iddat but the problem is that most probably my parents may not let me marry him since they dislike him.

I want to know does the khulu given with 6 month delay have the power?
Praise be to Allah.
	Firstly:

	Khul‘ refers to separation of the spouses in return for 
	compensation paid to the husband.

	But is it a divorce (talaaq) or annulment (faskh)? There is a 
	difference of opinion among the fuqaha’, but they are agreed that it leads 
	to permanent ending of the marriage, so the husband cannot take back the 
	wife from whom he separated by means of khul‘, except with a new marriage 
	contract.

	It is stipulated that acceptance of the khul‘ should take 
	place in the same meeting as the proposal thereof is given, and that the one 
	who requested it should not recant before the other accepts, and that the 
	acceptance should be on the same basis as the proposal. If any of these 
	conditions is not met, then no khul‘ takes place.

	Thus you will realise that the khul‘ you asked about did not 
	count as such, because all three conditions were not met:

	Firstly: 

	The husband’s acceptance of the proposal of khul‘ did not 
	occur in the same meeting; rather it came after he left.

	In al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah it says: The four 
	madhhabs state that if a husband wants to separate from his wife by means of 
	khul‘, the acceptance thereof can only be valid if it occurs in the same 
	meeting. But what counts according to the Hanafis is the time of the meeting 
	with the wife, if they did not stipulate the condition of choice, and 
	provided that the wife did not initiate the process, and it is not valid for 
	the husband to recant, even before her acceptance (of his proposal of khul‘), 
	but it is valid for him to take her back so long as he has not accepted the 
	proposal, if she is the one who initiated it.

	What matters according to the rest of the fuqaha’ is the time 
	of the meeting of the two parties to the khul‘. This is also the view of the 
	Hanafis, if it is the wife who initiated the proposal of khul‘. Similarly, 
	if they stipulate that they have the choice (of either going ahead or not), 
	and whether it is to take effect immediately or later, with regard to the 
	proposal and acceptance, that is similar to the issue of buying and selling, 
	in their view. All of this is applicable when no condition is stipulated.

	Accepting the proposal in the same meeting is not required if 
	it is made conditional, except according to Ibn ‘Abd as-Salaam among the 
	Maalikis, or if the wife is the initiator of the khul‘, according to the 
	Shaafa‘is and Hanbalis, because she is offering something in return for 
	separation.

	Rather when acceptance is made conditional upon something 
	happening, it takes effect when that thing happens. End quote.

	The view of the Hanafis is that if the woman is the initiator 
	of the khul‘, then the husband must be present in the meeting, but if he is 
	the initiator, then it is not stipulated that she be present.

	It says in Badaa’i‘ as-Sanaa’i‘ (3/145): Khul‘ on the 
	part of the husband is equal to an oath (yameen), and is like making divorce 
	conditional upon her accepting compensation in return for separation. Khul‘ 
	on the part of the wife is like giving money in return for separation, so it 
	is giving something in return, so that if the husband initiates the khul‘, 
	and he says: “I want to separate from you by means of khul‘ in return for 
	one thousand dirhams,” the husband has no right to recant or cancel the khul‘, 
	or to forbid his wife to accept it, and it is not cancelled by him leaving 
	the meeting before she accepts it, and it is not necesary that the woman be 
	present. Rather the issue may go beyond the time of the meeting, even if the 
	woman is absent, then she hears about [the khul‘]; in that case she has the 
	right to accept it, in a meeting at which she is present, because in her 
	case it is the issue of compensation in return for divorce.

	If it is initiated by the woman, such as if she says: I want 
	to separate from you by means of khul‘ in return for one thousand dirhams, 
	she has the right to recant before the husband accepts it, and it is 
	invalidated if she leaves the meeting, or if he leaves the meeting too.

	What happens after the meeting ends is irrelevant, such as if 
	the husband is absent, even if he hears about the proposal and accepts it; 
	in that case it is not valid. 
	End quote.

	It says in Majma‘ al-Anhur (2/108): Khul‘ is like 
	divorce in return for money, compensation that is to be paid by the woman 
	because she is giving money for the purpose of maintaining her well-being.

	He further said: It is valid for her to recant her proposal 
	before he – namely the husband – accepts it, after she has made her 
	proposal. So for example, if she says: “I want to separate from you by means 
	of khul‘ in return for such and such,” then she recants before he accepts 
	it, in that case the proposal is no longer valid.

	Khul‘ is also rendered invalid by leaving the meeting before 
	it is accepted, as the matter is subject to the same rulings as buying and 
	selling, and it is not valid to connect it to a condition. It is 
	stipulated that the husband should be present; even if he is absent and news 
	reaches him, so he accepts the proposal, it is not valid. End quote.

	Secondly:

	You recanted the khul‘ before your husband accepted it.

	Thirdly:

	In the case of khul‘ it is stipulated that the acceptance 
	should be in accordance with the proposal. If the proposal and acceptance 
	differ, then the khul‘ does not count. You asked for khul‘ with immediate 
	effect, whereas your husband accepted it with a delay of six months.

	In al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (19/156) it says: The 
	acceptance should be in accordance with the proposal. If the proposal and 
	acceptance differ, such as if he says, “I will divorce you in return for one 
	thousand,” and you say, “I accept in return for two thousand,” or vice 
	versa, such as if he says, “I will divorce you in return for two thousand,” 
	and you say: “I accept in return for one thousand,” or he says, “I will 
	divorce you thrice in return for one thousand,” and you say, “I will accept 
	one divorce in return for one third of one thousand,” then all three cases 
	come under the heading of idle talk, because of the difference between the 
	proposal and acceptance, as is the case with regard to rulings on buying and 
	selling. End quote.

	And Allah knows best.