If a man says to his wife, "You are divorced, divorced, divorced," does one divorce take effect or three?
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The questioner : May the Shaykh be honored, a man divorced his wife and said to her, "You are divorced, divorced, divorced." Is this one divorce or three divorces? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : If he did not intend the three, then it is one. If he intended the three, most jurists hold that it is three, and that she is not lawful for him again except after another husband. However, the correct view is that it is only one, whether he said, "You are divorced, divorced, divorced," or said, "You are divorced three times," or said, "You are divorced, you are divorced, you are divorced." Nevertheless, if they go to a Shaykh or a judge and he rules for them that it is three, it is not permissible for them to seek a dispensation and go to another scholar. This is because one who consults a scholar believing that what he said is the truth is not permitted to consult anyone else. If he did so, he would be playing with the matter, seeking from the truth whatever agrees with his desire, and he would follow that. For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: "It is not permissible to seek out dispensations". Yes.
The Shaykh : If he did not intend the three, then it is one. If he intended the three, most jurists hold that it is three, and that she is not lawful for him again except after another husband. However, the correct view is that it is only one, whether he said, "You are divorced, divorced, divorced," or said, "You are divorced three times," or said, "You are divorced, you are divorced, you are divorced." Nevertheless, if they go to a Shaykh or a judge and he rules for them that it is three, it is not permissible for them to seek a dispensation and go to another scholar. This is because one who consults a scholar believing that what he said is the truth is not permitted to consult anyone else. If he did so, he would be playing with the matter, seeking from the truth whatever agrees with his desire, and he would follow that. For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: "It is not permissible to seek out dispensations". Yes.