Assalamu alaikum. Playing & joking with the child about the age, the mother says to her child that his father (.ie.her husband) is like a brother in Age (8 years elder). This is said for a joke only. What is the interpretation? Has she done a mistake and repent or is it OK as it was doen merely by joke. I heard that saying wife as SISTER or husband as FATHER or BROTHER nullifies the marriage relationship? Please clarify. Wassalam

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is disliked for a wife to call her husband ‘O, my brother’ or describe him as her brother and the like, as we clarified in Fatwa 136327.

Indeed, some scholars are very strict about this and described whoever does this as being foolish. Therefore, one should avoid this. Nevertheless, such expressions do not make a wife forbidden for her husband.

As regards what this wife said about her husband that he is like her brother in age, then this has nothing to do with what we are talking about, as it appears that she wanted to say that her husband is at the same age as her brother and not that he is her brother. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with this and it does not imply that she described her husband as her brother.

Allaah Knows best.