Chapter: To divorce ones wife thrice (at a time)

Uwaimir Al-`Ajlani came to `Asim bin Adi Al-Ansari and asked, "O `Asim! Tell me, if a man sees his wife with another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him in Qisas, or what should he do? O `Asim! Please ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about that." `Asim asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about that. Allah's Apostle disliked that question and considered it disgraceful. What `Asim heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was hard on him. When he returned to his family, 'Uwaimir came to him and said "O `Asim! What did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say to you?" `Asim said, "You never bring me any good. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) disliked to hear the problem which I asked him about." 'Uwaimir said, "By Allah, I will not leave the matter till I ask him about it." So 'Uwaimir proceeded till he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who was in the midst of the people and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If a man finds with his wife another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him (in Qisas): or otherwise, what should he do?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has revealed something concerning the question of you and your wife. Go and bring her here." So they both carried out the judgment of Lian, while I was present among the people (as a witness). When both of them had finished, 'Uwaimir said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If I should now keep my wife with me, then I have told a lie". Then he pronounced his decision to divorce her thrice before Allah's Apostle ordered him to do so. (Ibn Shihab said, "That was the tradition for all those who are involved in a case of Lian."

The wife of Rifa`a Al-Qurazi came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Rifa`a divorced me irrevocably. After him I married `Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubair Al-Qurazi who proved to be impotent." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to her, "Perhaps you want to return to Rifa`a? Nay (you cannot return to Rifa`a) until you and `Abdur-Rahman consummate your marriage."

A man divorced his wife thrice (by expressing his decision to divorce her thrice), then she married another man who also divorced her. The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked if she could legally marry the first husband (or not). The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "No, she cannot marry the first husband unless the second husband consummates his marriage with her, just as the first husband had done."