Does divorce occur after atoning for an oath of divorce made to someone other than one's wife, and what is its expiation?
Swearing by divorce for someone other than one's wife results in divorce, according to the majority of scholars, if the condition sworn upon is met. It counts as one divorce unless more than one is sworn by. Some scholars believe that it depends on the intention of the one swearing; if he intended divorce, it occurs. If he intended urging, preventing, affirming, or denying, then its ruling is that of an oath, and expiation for an oath is due: feeding ten poor persons, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. If he cannot find any of these, then fasting for three days, based on the Almighty's saying: (Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten poor persons from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or freeing a slave. But he who finds not [the means to do so] - then a fast of three days. That is the expiation for your oaths when you have sworn) [Al-Ma'idah: 89]. One must be wary of swearing by divorce because it is swearing by other than Allah and exposes the family to separation.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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