MARRIAGE \ Divorce \
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In the Name of Allaah, All Compassionate, All Merciful
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Husband jokingly says to his wife: "You are divorced!"
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Question: If a husband jokingly says to his wife: "You are divorced!", is she (thereby) divorced?

Response: Whoever jokingly divorces, then his divorce is applicable so long as he intended a divorce. And if he was joking with his wife and said to her: "You are divorced!", then, by that, she is divorced.

Indeed joking around in issues of divorce, nikaah and freeing a slave is a serious matter.

So whoever undertakes the contract of nikaah and (then) says: "I was (only) joking", then this statement of his is not acceptable, because he undertook the contract (of nikaah) out of his own will, and (thereby) the marriage is confirmed.

And likewise, whoever jokingly divorces, then his divorce is applicable so long as he intended a divorce. And if he was joking with his wife and said to her: "You are divorced!", then, by that, she is divorced.

Therefore, we are of the opinion that it is upon a person to beware of these issues and not to play around with divorce.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen
'Ishratun-Nisaa wa Hill al-Khilaafaat az-Zowjiyyah - Page 201
Fataawa Noorun 'alad-Darb - Volume 2, Page 117