What is the ruling on a husband saying to his wife: "If you lie to me, consider yourself no longer my wife (divorced)," with the intention of divorce if he suspects she is lying, and then reminding her of this with the intention of threatening her, if it becomes clear that she did not tell him the whole truth?
The husband is advised to consult the court or a scholar. The basic principle is that the husband should have a good opinion of his wife, as Allah Almighty says: ﴿O YOU WHO HAVE BELIEVED, AVOID MUCH ASSUMPTION. INDEED, SOME ASSUMPTION IS SINFUL.﴾ The first conditional statement regarding lying in the past or future does not negate the latter conditional statement related only to the future. So, if the wife did lie to him as the husband intended, then the divorce has occurred, as long as his intention was to enact divorce using ambiguous phrases. It must be noted that divorce is not the only solution for marital problems, and all other means of resolution should be exhausted before it. It is also advised that spouses treat each other kindly and righteously, overlook mistakes, and act in a way that benefits the family and its stability.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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