I have given a divorce to my wife 3 times in one sitting. She may not have heard it, but I have pronounced divorce three times?
Ans: All praises are for Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) alone.
In Islamic ruling based on Qur’an and Sunnah, it is a biddah to pronounce divorce more than one time in one sitting. This means that it is against the Sunnah.
A man should pronounce divorce once in one sitting. As it is mentioned in a hadith.
Abu al-Sahba’ said to Ibn ‘Abbas:
Enlighten us with your information whether the three divorces (pronounced at one and the same time) were not treated as one during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). He said: It was in fact so, but when during the caliphate of ‘Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) people began to pronounce divorce frequently, he allowed them to do so (to treat pronouncements of three divorces in a single breath as one). (Sahih Muslim: 1472 – The Book of Divorce)
https://sunnah.com/muslim/18/24
This means that 3 pronounced divorces during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr Siddique (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) in the initial two years was counted as one divorce.
One incident took place during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ when , Rukanah bin Abd Yazeed pronounced divorce to his wife three times in one sitting.
Hadeeth of Rukana regarding three divorce at a time.
Its mentioned in Awn Al Mabood Commentary of Sunan Abu Dawood Vol 6 page 199 from Musnad Ahmad
Narrated by Ibn Abbas (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) Brother of Mutlab, Rukanah bin Abd Yazeed divorced his wife three times. He felt sorry, Prophet Peace be upon him asked, “How did you divorce?” (كيف طلقتها) Rukanah said, “I gave her three talaq. The Prophet ﷺ asked did you give in single sitting? He (Rukanah) said, “Yes.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Then it has effect of one divorce; If you want to take her back you can.” Thus Rukanah took her back. Ibn Abbas (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) held the view that talaq should be at every clean period (after menses).
Based on this hadith, Hafiz Ibn Hijr (Rahimullah Alaih) states, “This hadees is a key answer to the problem stated. This does not contradict any other hadith.” (AlBari 450/9) DarusSalam Riyadh. The solution has been clearly explained that a revocable divorce has been pronounced and the husband holds the right to take back his wife during the iddah period of the wife.
To summarize, one revocable divorce has occurred in this circumstance. The husband has a right over his wife during the iddah time. It is allowed for him to be able to take back his wife within the course of 3 menstrual cycle and do ruju as per Surah AlBaqarah:228. Since his wife continued to stay on with him for that month the divorce was pronounced. Hence, this is considered a form of Ruju or reconciliation as they continued to maintain their marital relationship.
May Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) guide us to follow Qur’an and Sunnah. Aameen
