Does a wife become forbidden merely by a husband's internal monologue using words of prohibition, or by uttering "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah) and "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (There is no might or power except with Allah) while intending prohibition, or by reading the wordings of divorce and prohibition in legal fatwas?
It is advisable to turn away from these thoughts and occupy oneself with learning, inviting others to Allah, and serving the community. The divorce pronounced by one afflicted with obsessive whispers (waswas) is not valid, even if he utters it, so what if he does not utter it? This is because the utterance of one with waswas occurs without intention or will, as evidenced by the hadith: "There is no divorce in coercion/compulsion (ighlaq)."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/129978