If a Man Says to his Wife, ‘You are Unlawful for me”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَنْتِ عَلَيَّ حَرَامٌ فَقَالَ لِي لَوْ كَانَ لِي عَلَيْهِ سُلْطَانٌ لَأَوْجَعْتُ رَأْسَهُ وَ قُلْتُ لَهُ اللَّهُ أَحَلَّهَا لَكَ فَمَا حَرَّمَهَا عَلَيْكَ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى أَنْ كَذَبَ‌[3] فَزَعَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَهُ حَرَامٌ وَ لَا يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِ طَلَاقٌ وَ لَا كَفَّارَةٌ فَقُلْتُ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ ما

‘You are unlawful for me.’ He (the Imam) said to me, ‘Had I control over him I would have hurt his head and said to him that Allah has made her lawful for you, then what has made her unlawful for you? In fact, the one who says it(‘You are unlawful for me’) has lied, because then he would claim that what Allah has made

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا تَقُولُ فِي رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَنْتِ عَلَيَّ حَرَامٌ فَإِنَّا نُرْوَى بِالْعِرَاقِ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً ع جَعَلَهَا ثَلَاثاً فَقَالَ كَذَبُوا لَمْ يَجْعَلْهَا طَلَاقاً وَ لَوْ كَانَ لِي عَلَيْهِ سُلْطَانٌ لَأَوْجَعْتُ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ أَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَحَلَّهَا لَكَ فَمَا ذَا حَرَّمَهَا عَلَيْكَ مَا زِدْتَ عَلَى أَنْ كَذَبْتَ فَقُلْتَ لِشَيْ‌ءٍ أَحَلَّهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ إِنَّهُ حَرَ

‘You are unlawful for me.’ We in Iraq narrate that Ali (a.s.), made it three times (divorce). He (the Imam) said, ‘They have spoken a lie. He (the Imam) did not make it (one’s saying, ‘You are unlawful for me’) a divorce. Had I the control over him I would have given him a headache. I then say to him that Allah, most M

قَالَ لِي شَبَّةُ بْنُ عَقَّالٍ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ مَنْ قَالَ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ حَرَامٌ أَنَّكَ لَا تَرَى ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً قُلْتُ أَمَّا قَوْلُكَ الْحِلُّ عَلَيَّ حَرَامٌ فَهَذَا أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْوَلِيدُ جَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فِي أَمْرِ سَلَامَةَ امْرَأَتِهِ وَ أَنَّهُ بَعَثَ يَسْتَفْتِي أَهْلَ الْحِجَازِ وَ أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ وَ أَهْلَ الشَّامِ فَاخْتَلَفُوا عَلَيْهِ فَأَخَذَ بِقَوْلِ أَهْلِ ال

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Shabbah ibn ‘ Aqqal once said to me, ‘You think that if one says, “What Allah has made lawful is unlawful for me” (as you believe) does not have any valid effect.’ I said, ‘About your word ‘lawful is unlawful for me’ you can consider what ’Amir al- Mu’minin, al-Walid decided about

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَنْتِ عَلَيَّ حَرَامٌ قَالَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَةٌ وَ لَا طَلَاقٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who says to his wife, ‘You are unlawful for me.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘There is no expiation on him and it is not a divorce.’”