Does divorce occur if a man lies and tells someone, "This is my ex-wife," even though he has not actually divorced her?
If a man says about his wife, "This is my former wife," it is a kinayah (allusive) expression, and divorce does not occur except by intention. If he intended to lie and did not intend divorce, then it does not occur. As for the explicit wording of divorce, such as his saying: "I have divorced my wife," it does occur even if he was lying, according to the Hanbalis. According to the majority of scholars, it does not occur religiously but occurs judicially.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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