How Many Divorces Are Permitted and How Do Their Rulings Differ?
كم عدد الطلقات التي أعطاها الشارع الحكيم للزوج؟ وما الفرق بين كل طلقة وأخرى؟
How many times is the husband allowed to pronounce the divorce? And what is the difference between each one?
In Islamic law, a husband is allowed to pronounce divorce up to three times. The first two pronouncements offer a window for reconciliation. However, the third divorce creates a major irrevocable separation. Remarriage requires a genuine, consummated marriage to another man, followed by death or divorce and completion of the subsequent waiting period.
Islam structures divorce in stages rather than making it an instant and permanent severing of ties, giving couples ample opportunity to reconsider, resolve their issues, and reunite.
What is a revocable divorce (Talaq Raj'i)?
A revocable divorce is an ordinary first or second divorce after consummation that is not a compensated separation. During its waiting period (Iddah), the marital bond remains and the husband can take her back with a valid declaration of reconciliation, without a new marriage contract.
What happens if the waiting period ends after the first or second divorce?
If the Iddah finishes and they have not reconciled, the divorce becomes a "minor irrevocable" separation. She is no longer his wife, but they can choose to remarry each other with a completely new marriage contract and a new dowry, provided she agrees.
Why is the third divorce final?
The third divorce is final to protect women from emotional abuse and being trapped in a cycle of endless divorces and reconciliations. It makes the husband recognize the gravity of a third divorce: she can return only after a genuine, consummated marriage to another man ends naturally through divorce or death and its waiting period is completed.
The Stages of Divorce
1. The First and Second Divorce (Revocable)
The man is allowed to pronounce the divorce three times. The first and second revocable divorces have the same rulings: the divorced woman remains his wife until the waiting period (the Iddah) is over. The husband has the right to revoke the divorce and take her back during the waiting period without a new contract, with no dowry, and no guardian. This is what the jurists call the return, which means returning the divorcee to her previous state without a contract. This is the Revocable divorce.
2. Minor Irrevocable Divorce
But if the Iddah of a first or second revocable divorce ends, it becomes irrevocable in a minor sense (Baynunah Sughra), and she cannot go back to her husband unless she agrees and there is a new marriage contract and a new dowry.
3. The Third Divorce (Major Irrevocable)
If he pronounces a third divorce, she is no longer his wife, and he can only take her back under three conditions: she has to marry another husband, the new marriage must be a genuine one, and the second husband must consummate the marriage then that marriage must end naturally through divorce or death, and its waiting period must be completed.
The Quranic Command
(Divorce may be retracted twice, then the husband must retain his wife with honour or separate from her with grace. It is not lawful for husbands to take back anything of the dowry given to their wives, unless the couple fears not being able to keep within the limits of Allah. So if you fear they will not be able to keep within the limits of Allah, there is no blame if the wife compensates the husband to obtain divorce. These are the limits set by Allah, so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah, they are the true wrongdoers.) Al Baqara 2:229.
(So if a husband divorces his wife three times, then it is not lawful for him to remarry her until after she has married another man and then is divorced. Then it is permissible for them to reunite, as long as they feel they are able to maintain the limits of Allah. These are the limits set by Allah, which He makes clear for people of knowledge) Al Baqara 2:230.
Scholarly Insight: In Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), the limitation of divorce to three distinct pronouncements was revealed to end a cruel practice from the pre Islamic era. Men used to divorce their wives and take them back just before the waiting period ended, repeating this endlessly to keep the woman trapped so she could neither live as a wife nor marry anyone else. By limiting it to three, Islam forces a man to take the word "divorce" seriously. The first and second stages allow for anger to subside and mediation to take place. The strict ruling on the third divorce acts as a severe deterrent to prevent husbands from playing with the sacred bond of marriage.
كم عدد الطلقات التي أعطاها الشارع الحكيم للزوج؟ وما الفرق بين كل طلقة وأخرى؟
في الشريعة الإسلامية، يُسمح للزوج بإيقاع الطلاق حتى ثلاث مرات. تتيح الطلقة الأولى والثانية فرصة للمصالحة. لكن الطلقة الثالثة تبين الزوجة بينونة كبرى؛ فلا تعود إلى الأول إلا بعد زواج صحيح حقيقي من رجل آخر يدخل بها، ثم تنتهي الزوجية بموت أو طلاق وتنقضي عدتها من الثاني.
ينظم الإسلام الطلاق على مراحل بدلاً من جعله قطعاً فورياً ودائماً للروابط، مما يمنح الزوجين فرصة كافية لإعادة التفكير، وحل مشاكلهم، ولم الشمل.
مراحل الطلاق
1. الطلقة الأولى والثانية (الرجعية)
الطلقات ثلاث: الطلقة الأولى والثانية الرجعيتان حكمهما واحد، وهو أن المطلقة تبقى زوجة ما لم تنقض العدة، فللزوج الحق في مراجعتها في أثناء العدة بغير عقد ولا مهر ولا ولي، وهذا الذي يسميه الفقهاء الرجعة، ويقصد به: إعادة المطلقة غير البائن إلى ما كانت عليه بغير عقد.
2. البينونة الصغرى
فإن انقضت العدة من الطلقة الأولى أو الثانية كان للزوج الحق في مراجعة زوجته بمهر جديد وعقد جديد، ويسمى الفراق بين الزوجين هنا: (بينونة صغرى). ويجدر التنبيه على أنه إذا راجع الزوج زوجته في العدة رجعة صحيحة، لم يملك من الطلاق إلا ما بقي من عدده.
3. الطلقة الثالثة (البينونة الكبرى)
إن طلقها طلقة ثالثة: فإنها لم تعد زوجة، ولا يحل له أن يراجعها إلا بثلاثة شروط: أن تنكح زوجا غيره، وأن يكون النكاح صحيحا، وأن يطأها الزوج الثاني في الفرج، ثم تنتهي زوجيتها منه بموت أو طلاق وتنقضي عدتها.
الأمر القرآني
(الطَّلَاقُ مَرَّتَانِ ۖ فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ ۗ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَأْخُذُوا مِمَّا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ شَيْئًا إِلَّا أَن يَخَافَا أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّـهِ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّـهِ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا فِيمَا افْتَدَتْ بِهِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّـهِ فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا ۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ اللَّـهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ) البقرة 2: 229.
(فَإِن طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ مِن بَعْدُ حَتَّىٰ تَنكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ ۗ فَإِن طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَن يَتَرَاجَعَا إِن ظَنَّا أَن يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّـهِ يُبَيِّنُهَا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ) البقرة 2: 230.
1. The Three-Tier System: Limiting Ancient Chaos | حصر الطلاق في ثلاث طلقات لإنهاء فوضى الجاهلية
Prior to Islam, a husband could divorce and take back his wife an infinite number of times, holding her in psychological torment. The Quran revolutionized family law by instituting a definitive limit: "Divorce is twice. Then, either keep her in an acceptable manner or release her with good treatment" (2:229).
الطَّلَاقُ مَرَّتَانِ ۖ فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ (سورة البقرة: 229)
كان الطلاق في الجاهلية غير محدود، فيطلق الرجل زوجته مائة مرة ويراجعها؛ فأنزل الله الحد الحاسم: {الطَّلَاقُ مَرَّتَانِ} (سورة البقرة: 229) (سورة البقرة: 229)؛ فجعل للمرأة فرجاً وحداً لا يتجاوزه الزوج، مانحا الزوجين فرصتين لإعادة بناء البيت، ومغلقا باب التلاعب بمصائر النساء.
2. Revocable Divorces: First and Second Pronouncements | الطلاق الرجعي وحق المراجعة في العدة
An ordinary first or second divorce after consummation, without compensation, is revocable (Talaq Raj'i). During its legally prescribed waiting period, the husband can restore the marriage without a new contract, dowry, or guardian consent. The Shafi'i school requires a verbal declaration; the Hanafi, Maliki, and Hanbali schools also recognize forms of physical reconciliation under their respective conditions.
وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ إِنْ أَرَادُوا إِصْلَاحًا (سورة البقرة: 228)
الطلقة الأولى أو الثانية بعد الدخول دون عوض تكون رجعية؛ فللزوج مراجعتها في عدتها دون عقد جديد ولا مهر ولا ولي. يشترط الشافعية لفظ الرجعة، ويقر الحنفية والمالكية والحنابلة صورا من الرجعة بالفعل بشروط كل مذهب؛ فالمالكية يشترطون نيتها، والحنفية يجيزون الجماع ومقدماته بشهوة، والحنابلة يثبتونها بالجماع ولو بلا نية. ويتوارث الزوجان إذا مات أحدهما في العدة الرجعية.
3. The Irrevocable Third Divorce (Baynunah Kubra) | البينونة الكبرى بالطلقة الثالثة وزوال العصمة
If the couple exhausts both reconciliations and a third divorce occurs, it becomes an irrevocable major separation (Baynunah Kubra). The marital bond is dissolved, and they cannot remarry each other directly under any circumstance, serving as a severe deterrent against frivolous divorce.
فَإِن طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ مِن بَعْدُ حَتَّىٰ تَنكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ (سورة البقرة: 230)
إذا استنفد الزوج طلقتيه ووقع الطلاق للمرة الثالثة، وقعت البينونة الكبرى؛ فتنقطع رابطة الزوجية تماما وتزول العصمة، وتحرم عليه تحريما مؤقتا لا يرتفع إلا بزواجها من رجل آخر زواجا حقيقيا كاملا دون احتيال.
4. Prohibition of Sham Marriages (Nikah at-Tahleel) | تحريم نكاح التحليل ولعن المحلل
Islam strictly prohibits prearranged sham marriages (Nikah at-Tahleel) where a man marries a triply-divorced woman merely to divorce her so she can return to her first husband. The Prophet cursed the man who contracts such a marriage and the former husband for whom it is arranged. At-Tirmidhi 1120 records this warning and grades the narration hasan sahih.
لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْمُحَلِّلَ وَالْمُحَلَّلَ لَهُ (سنن أبي داود 2076، صححه الألباني؛ ورواه الترمذي 1120 وقال: حسن صحيح)
سد الإسلام كل أبواب التحايل؛ فحرم ما يعرف بـ "نكاح التحليل" ولعن النبي ﷺ المحلِّل والمحلَّل له؛ واشترطت الشريعة أن يكون النكاح الثاني نكاح رغبة واستقرار صحيحا مع الدخول الحقيقي؛ فإن مات الثاني أو طلقها برغبته، وانقضت عدتها منه، جاز لها الزواج بالأول بعقد جديد إذا تراضيا.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How many times can a man divorce his wife revocably in Islam?
Twice; during the waiting period of a first or second revocable divorce, he may take her back without a new marriage contract.
What happens after the third divorce is pronounced?
It becomes an irrevocable major divorce (Baynunah Kubra), barring remarriage between them directly.
When can a triply-divorced couple remarry legally?
Only after a genuine, consummated marriage to another man ends naturally through divorce or death without prearrangement, and its waiting period is completed.
What is the ruling on "Nikah at-Tahleel" (sham marriage for legalizing return)?
It is forbidden (Haram). The Prophet cursed both participants in such an arrangement (At-Tirmidhi 1120, graded hasan sahih by At-Tirmidhi).