What is the ruling if a person swears, 'If anyone enters my house, my wife is divorced,' and then he himself enters his house?

Chapter on Explicit Divorce and Others

Al-Mughni

Book of Divorce

Book 39 · Issue 1 · Bab 2

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If a man says, 'If anyone enters my house, my wife is divorced,' and subsequently he himself enters it, the pronouncement of divorce is not effected. The context of the speaker's statement indicates that the oath is intended to restrain others from entering and to apply only to others, thereby excluding the speaker himself from the general meaning by this context.

Supporting text

There is an alternative view holding that the divorce takes effect, based on the general literal meaning of the words, disregarding the contextual reason (sabab).