Does a triple divorce occur if one swears an oath to his wife that she will not go out, given a specific intention for the oath, and what are the resulting rulings, such as breaking the oath and expiation?
If the marriage contract has been validly concluded according to Sharia, and the husband swore that his wife would not leave the house, then her leaving does not necessitate a divorce or an expiation for the oath if she leaves at an unauthorized time or to purchase something other than what he intended, because an oath is based on the intention of the one who swears it. It is not prescribed to swear by divorce because it is swearing by other than Allah. The saying, "Whoever swears by other than Allah has lied," is incorrect; the correct saying is, "Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk (polytheism)," and it is a verbal shirk, not one of belief. If an expiation for an oath becomes obligatory, it is to be paid after breaking the oath or before it, and it consists of feeding ten poor persons, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. If one is unable, then fasting for three days. It is not sufficient to pay it except to ten poor persons. As for divorce in the case of breaking the oath, it occurs as three divorces according to the majority of scholars, while Ibn Taymiyyah held that an expiation for an oath becomes obligatory in such a case.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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