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Is the failure to respond to one's wife due to obsessive thoughts (waswasah) or the belief that she caused them considered a divorce (talaq), and is speaking to her with anger and agitation considered a divorce?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A husband's failure to respond to his wife or his speaking to her with anger is not considered a divorce. Divorce does not occur merely by thinking about it or intending it; rather, it must be uttered verbally, based on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: "Indeed, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has pardoned for my Ummah whatever they whisper to themselves or whatever occurs to their minds, as long as they do not act upon it or speak of it." A person afflicted with obsessive whispers (waswas) does not have his divorce take effect even if he utters it verbally, if he did not intend divorce, because he is compelled to it. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "There is no divorce in coercion." The cure for waswas is to completely turn away from it, seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan, frequently remember Allah the Almighty, and stay away from sins.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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