Fatwa No : 84939
Reconciliation by the Husband After Triple Divorce

Reconciliation by the Husband After Triple Divorce

I gave my wife three divorces in her absence on 17th October 2009, while being in full senses and in the presence of my parents and brother, by saying the words: "I have divorced her" three times. Now I wish to reconcile with her. Kindly issue a fatwa: is this divorce valid or not?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

Since the questioner has uttered the words of divorce mentioned in the question — "I have divorced her" — three times, three divorces have taken effect upon his wife, resulting in an irrevocable separation (hurmat-e-mughallazah). Therefore, reconciliation is no longer permissible, and they cannot remarry without first undergoing a valid halalah sharʿiyah. After completing her waiting period (ʿiddah), the woman is free to marry someone else of her choice.
Halalah Sharʿiyah is that the woman separates from her former husband and, after completing the waiting period (ʿiddah) of divorce, marries another Muslim man without any prior condition. She must consummate the marriage with the second husband, as physical intimacy (at least one instance of lawful intercourse) is necessary for the validity of halalah sharʿiyah. If the second husband then divorces her—either immediately after consummation or after some time of married life—or if he passes away, then after completing her waiting period from the second marriage, she is free to marry her first husband again. If the first husband also agrees, they may remarry with a new mahr (dower) and in the presence of witnesses, and resume life as husband and wife. However, arranging halalah with the condition that the second husband will divorce her in order to make her lawful for the first husband is makruh tahrimi (prohibitively disliked), and such a practice is condemned in the Hadith, where those who do so have been declared accursed. Nonetheless, if done without such a condition, it is undoubtedly valid and permissible.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

كما قال الله قال الله تعالى: {فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْدُ حَتَّى تَنْكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ } [البقرة: 230]
و في أحكام القرآن للجصاص: قوله تعالى ﴿فإن طلقها فلا تحل له من بعد حتى تنكح زوجا غيره﴾ منتظم لمعان منها تحريمها على المطلق ثلاثا حتى تنكح زوجا غيره مفيد في شرط ارتفاع التحريم الواقع بالطلاق الثلاث العقد والوطء جميعا لأن النكاح هو الوطء في الحقيقة وذكر الزوج يفيد العقد اھ (2/ 88)۔
و في الدر المختار: (ويقع بها) أي بهذه الألفاظ وما بمعناها من الصريح، اھ (3/ 248)۔
وفى حاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار): (قوله وما بمعناها من الصريح) أي مثل ما سيذكره من نحو: كوني طالقا واطلقي ويا مطلقة بالتشديد، وكذا المضارع إذا غلب في الحال مثل أطلقك كما في البحر اھ (3/ 248)۔
و في الفتاوى الهندية: إذا كان الطلاق بائنا دون الثلاث فله أن يتزوجها في العدة وبعد انقضائها وإن كان الطلاق ثلاثا في الحرة وثنتين في الأمة لم تحل له حتى تنكح زوجا غيره نكاحا صحيحا ويدخل بها ثم يطلقها أو يموت عنها كذا في الهداية (1/ 473) ۔