As for a man who “swears an oath by declaring things forbidden,” saying, “Prohibition shall bind me—I will not do such-and-such,” or, “What is lawful is forbidden to me—I will not do such-and-such,” or, “What Allah has made lawful is forbidden to me if I do such-and-such,” or, “What is lawful for Muslims shall be forbidden to me if I do such-and-such,” or similar words, while having a wife: there is a well-known disagreement on this question among earlier and later scholars. The stronger view, however, is that this constitutes an oath and does not result in divorce, even if he intended it as an oath of divorce. This is Ahmad’s well-known position. Indeed, even if he says, “You are forbidden to me,” intending divorce, no divorce takes effect according to him.

Likewise, if he says, “You are to me like my mother’s back,” intending divorce, this does not effect a divorce according to the great majority of scholars. Allah revealed Quranic verses concerning this, for people used to regard both zihār (declaring one’s wife forbidden like one’s mother) and oaths of abstinence from one’s wife as divorce. Allah abolished all of that, prescribing the major expiation for zihār and treating the oath of abstinence as an oath for which the man is allowed four months. He must then either retain his wife honourably or release her graciously.

Many earlier and later scholars likewise held that if a married man declares his wife forbidden to him, or declares lawful things forbidden to himself without qualification, he has thereby pronounced zihār. This is Ahmad’s position.

If he swears an oath of zihār or prohibition not to do something and then breaks his oath, expiation suffices according to Ahmad’s school. However, it has been said that the required expiation is that for zihār, whether he swore an oath