discovers that the reality is otherwise, then such an oath is counted as idle speech, for Allah the Exalted says, “Allah will not hold you accountable for what is unintentional in your oaths” (Qur’an 5:89). Therefore you bear no sin, for you did not deliberately lie; you swore according to what you honestly thought to be the case. When it later became clear that matters were different, this fell under the heading of an idle oath. No divorce takes effect through it, and you are not required to offer an expiation, because it is classed as an idle oath. That is what appears to me from your circumstances and from your question.

As for the manner in which a rujʿah (resumption of the marriage) is effected, it must be by a verbal declaration of resumption or by intercourse with one’s wife while intending to resume the marriage.

Regarding a verbal declaration, there is no disagreement among the scholars that it restores the marriage. As for having intercourse with her while intending resumption but without any spoken words, the scholars differ on this; the more correct opinion is that such intercourse does effect the resumption if the husband intends thereby to take back his revocably divorced wife.

Question: Some people, as soon as they utter a divorce, refrain from their wives or drive them out of the house. Is this practice supported by any evidence?

Answer: In the case of a revocable divorce, it is not permissible to expel the wife from her husband’s home, for she is still a wife and remains entitled to maintenance and housing. Allah the Exalted says, “O Prophet, when you divorce women, divorce them for the start of their waiting period; keep count of the waiting period, and fear Allah your Lord. Do not drive them out of their homes, nor should they leave, unless they commit a flagrant indecency” (Qur’an 65:1). Accordingly, a revocably divorced wife may not be expelled from the marital home until her waiting period ends, provided he has not taken her back.