Is being alone with one's betrothed wife and passionately kissing her in her family's home considered a consummation that necessitates the 'iddah (waiting period)? Does committing an act of disbelief (kufr) or any of the nullifiers of Islam keep the marriage contract valid? Is renewing the contract necessary for a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who suffers from disbelieving actions, statements, and thoughts? Will he be held accountable for this disbelief if it results from OCD and exposure to prohibited things? Is his intimacy with his wife permissible? Do the rulings of disbelief apply to the person with OCD in the same way they apply to someone without OCD? Was renewing the marriage required for those who apostatized and then returned to Islam during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him?
If you are in a proper seclusion with your wife where intercourse is possible, then this seclusion takes the ruling of consummation and establishes the waiting period (iddah). If one of the spouses apostatizes (Allah forbid) after this seclusion, they are separated until the iddah ends. If the apostate returns to Islam during the iddah, then the marriage remains valid and does not require renewal of the contract. Know that disbelief does not occur through intrusive thoughts (waswasah) as long as the person dislikes them. You should disregard these waswasah and pay no attention to them. Seek help from Allah and make supplication, and you may also seek assistance from a psychiatrist.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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