A husband saying to his wife, "You are my sister" or "like my sister"

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. If a man says to his wife, "You are my sister" or "like my sister," and he does not intend divorce by that, but the wife says that he intends zihar (likening one's wife to a forbidden relative), whose word is taken in this matter?

Answer:
The apparent meaning of the words is taken. If he says, "You are like my sister or my mother," the apparent meaning of the words is zihar, so he is held to have committed zihar. However, if he says, "You are like my sister in honor or in status," and that is his intention, then it is not zihar. If he intends honor or high status, the phrase is disliked. They say it is disliked for him to say to her, "O my sister" or "O my mother," as a form of honor. This is disliked because it resembles zihar.