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What is the ruling on a wife falsely accusing her husband of infidelity, sorcery, and adultery, and then seeking divorce (khul') based on these accusations?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible to accuse a Muslim of sins without clear proof, and Islamic law has emphasized the sanctity of Muslims' honor. It is not permissible to accuse anyone of indecency except by witnessing adultery with one's own eyes, as Al-Qurtubi said: "The ruling concerning the testimony of four [witnesses] is that it must be based on observation, where they see it like a kohl stick in a kohl container." If the wife requests khul' (divorce at the wife's instance) without a valid reason, she is sinful, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "The women who seek khul' are the hypocrites." The gravity of this should be explained to her, and if she does not desist, the husband has the right to refer the matter to the Sharia judge.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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