If a man abstains from intercourse with his wife for more than four months without taking an oath, does that fall under the ruling of ila'?

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: If a man abstains from intercourse with his wife for more than four months without taking an oath, does that

The Shaykh:
Yes.

The questioner:
does that fall under the ruling of ila'?

The Shaykh:
Yes, it falls under the ruling of ila'. If he abstains from intercourse with his wife and four months have passed, he is in the position of one who has taken an oath of abstinence. He is to be stopped at her request and given the choice between divorcing her or having intercourse with her, in order to remove the harm from her.