What is the ruling regarding a wife who experiences frequent intrusive thoughts of divorce, and does divorce occur with the pronouncement "You are not my wife" or "You are free" if these are merely recollections of others' words, self-talk, or intrusive thoughts?
You are not bound by a divorce due to words of divorce that you feel on your tongue, nor by actions that you imagine to be a divorce. The phrases "she is not my wife" and "you are free" are allusive divorce expressions (kinayat talaq) that do not constitute a divorce unless there is an intention to divorce. You did not intend divorce; rather, you uttered them due to obsessive whispers (waswas). Therefore, you are not bound by a divorce due to what you imagined or what you uttered.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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