If he says: you are to me like my mother's back if I approach you

Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no time limit in zihar; but if someone says to his wife, "If I come near you," then a time limit can enter the zihar. If he says this and leaves her for four months, the woman becomes irrevocably separated from him by ila'.

Al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man says to his wife, "If I come near you, you are to me like my mother's back," then if he comes near her, zihar takes effect; and if he leaves her for four months, the woman becomes irrevocably separated from him by ila'.

Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This is ila'.

Ata (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man says to his wife, "If I come near you, you are to me like my mother's back," and then leaves her for four months, this is nothing.

Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) and Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man says to his wife, "If I come to you, you are to me like my mother's back," then if he comes to her within the four months, it is zihar and it has become binding on him; and if he does not come to her, it is ila', and the woman becomes separated from him by one divorce.

The same is reported through Abu Ma'shar from Ibrahim; they (al-Hasan and Ibrahim) said: If a man says to his wife, "If I come near you, you are to me like my mother's back," then if he comes near her within the four months, it is zihar and it has become binding on him; and if he does not come near her until four months pass, it is ila', and she becomes separated from him by one divorce.

Shu'bah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I asked al-Hakam (may Allah have mercy on him) and Hammad (may Allah have mercy on him): If a man says to his wife, "If I approach you for a year, then you are to me like the back of my mother," what is the ruling? They said: When four months have passed, it is one divorce.

Abu Bakr (Ibn Abi Shaybah) adopts this view.