What is the ruling on a man who swore an oath regarding his wife, saying, “If you visit so-and-so’s house, you are divorced,” and then learned a year later that she had visited that house?

The questioner: Yes, very well, my dear Shaykh, a second question.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: There is a man who swore an oath regarding his wife, saying, “If you visit so-and-so’s house, you are divorced.” He says he did not know until a year later. He asked the imams there in the north, and you know, the Kurds do not have much knowledge of the religion. They told him there was nothing wrong. He says that a year later he learned that his wife had broken his word and gone to the house for which he had sworn the oath.

The Shaykh: So he did not know that his wife had gone until a year later?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: When he learned of it, he was only required to pay the expiation for an oath.

The questioner: So the divorce is valid.

The Shaykh: There is no divorce.

The questioner: There is no divorce, praise be to Allah, because that is his question.

The Shaykh: There is no divorce, but he must hasten to pay the expiation for the oath by feeding ten poor people.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: He does not pay dirhams or dinars.

The questioner: Food, meaning.

The Shaykh: Food, yes.

The questioner: May Allah reward you a thousand times, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.

The questioner: May Allah reward you a thousand times.

The Shaykh : Welcome.

The questioner: And may you be well, O Lord.

The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.

The questioner: May you be well, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Peace be upon you.

The questioner: And upon you peace.