Does a man's saying to his wife, jokingly, "If you want so-and-so, take him, and his wife will take your place," Haram her to him?

A husband's statement to his wife, "If you want so-and-so, take him, and his wife will take your place," is not a divorce. This is because it does not contain the explicit words of divorce (alfaazh al-talaq) or their allusions (kinayat), and it does not make the wife unlawful. Furthermore, it is contingent upon the wife's desire.

This statement is an unnecessary burden and is not commendable; it is one of the pitfalls of the tongue that leads to ruin, as it involves disrespect for sacred boundaries, verbal assault on honor, and a loss of protective jealousy.

Marital life lived with kindness and equity requires the mutual contentment of both spouses. The happy life with another spouse that Satan promises is nothing but pipe dreams, as Allah Almighty says: (And whoever takes Satan as a patron instead of Allah has certainly suffered a clear loss. He promises them and incites them to desires, but Satan does not promise them except delusion.)

Verbal altercations between spouses can reach the level of sin or incite immorality, and they can be a cause of discord. The wise person closes the door to Satan, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: (Control your tongue, let your house suffice you, and weep over your sin.)

Let a person fear his Lord by avoiding such statements and jests that are often faulty and whose evil spreads.