Husband making his wife as unlawful for him as his mother

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Q 2: I deemed my wife unlawful to me and said that she is as unlawful for me as my mother. Is she really considered unlawful for me? I was in a state of anger at that time.

A: This is considered Zhihar (a man likening his wife to an unmarriageable relative), not divorce. If you want to return to your wife, you must pay the Kaffarah (expiation) for Zhihar before having intercourse with her. Allah has told us the Kaffarah for Zhihar in His Saying, And those who make unlawful to them their wives by Zihâr and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (the penalty) in that case is the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you (so that you may not repeat such an ill thing). And Allâh is All-Aware of what you do. And he who finds not (the money for freeing a slave) must fast two successive months before they both touch each other. And he who is unable to do so, should feed sixty Miskîns (poor). (Part No. 20; Page No. 276) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.