Are the words a husband says to his wife while he is angry, intending to threaten or reconcile—not intending divorce—binding?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
What you have mentioned falls under the category of waswasa (whispering of Satan/obsessive thoughts), and no legal ruling is entailed by it. Merely threatening with these words does not make the kinayah (ambiguous divorce utterance) a divorce. Divorce by kinayah does not occur unless there is an intention to effect it. The fact that you did not intend to separate from your wife with these words makes them laghw (idle talk) with no effect. Certainty is not dispelled by doubt, and the cure for is to disregard it and pay no attention to it.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/108742
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 108742
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy