Does ẓihār occur by raising a picture on which is written, "O sister, is what you have in Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha not enough for you?", with the intention of daʿwah (invitation to Islam) and not ẓihār? And what are the wordings of ẓihār, its explicit and implicit forms? And is it permissible for a husband to call his wife "O sister of so-and-so" with the intention of brotherhood in Islam or in Allah, or because they are both from Adam and Eve? And what is the opinion on continuing to ask scholars about waswas (obsessive thoughts)?
Saying "my sister" does not result in the wife becoming unlawful (haram) or in zihar (a pre-Islamic form of divorce), especially if it is not addressed to the wife. If a man addresses his wife by saying "my sister," she does not become unlawful to him, even if it is disliked (makrooh). Zihar does not occur by likening the wife to a sister or calling her that, unless the husband intends zihar. A person suffering from intrusive thoughts (al-musawwis) is not subject to divorce or zihar.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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