Is a wife still under the authority of her husband, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and who uttered the phrase "that's it, just go now" to his wife in a moment of anger and distress, knowing that he did not completely lose consciousness during his anger, and that he loves his wife and does not want to separate from her, and knowing that his doctor informed him that the OCD makes him angry for the slightest reasons? And what is meant by Sheikh Ibn 'Uthaymeen's statement that the divorce of one suffering from OCD does not take effect unless he intended it with tranquility?
Your divorce does not occur with your saying, "Go," because it is an ambiguous phrase (kinayah) for divorce, and it does not effect divorce unless accompanied by intention, and you did not intend to divorce her. Even if you doubted the intention, that would prevent the divorce from taking place. The divorce of one afflicted by obsessive thoughts (al-waswas) does not take effect even if he utters it verbally, if it was not with genuine intention and will, with tranquility; because he is overwhelmed by his condition. In your case, you did not use an explicit phrase and did not intend divorce, so no divorce takes place from you, whether you are afflicted by obsessive thoughts or not.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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