Does divorce occur if the husband threatens his wife by saying, "If you delete WhatsApp, I will give her the divorce paper," intending to threaten rather than divorce, and is this considered a divorce or not?
This statement does not constitute a divorce, because it is a threat and a warning, not a suspension of divorce. So, if the husband wishes to retract his intention, there is no blame upon him. This is assuming that by saying, "If you delete WhatsApp, I will give you the paper," the husband intends an oath of divorce. However, if he meant that he swore an oath by Allah, saying: "By Allah, if you delete WhatsApp, I will give you the paper," then in this case, if the wife deletes WhatsApp and the husband does not give her her divorce paper, he is liable for an expiation for breaking an oath.
We advise against threatening with divorce, as it is not a sound approach in dealing with one's wife.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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