Ruling on saying: “Take your things and rely on Allah for your family”

Question: The husband and the wife’s guardian were present, and the aforementioned husband admitted that he became angry with his wife on Tuesday, 14/3/1393 AH, and said to her: “Take your things and rely on Allah for your family.” He repeated this three times with the intention of divorce, but he did not intend three divorces or any other specific number; rather, he intended the general concept of divorce and repeated it to make her understand, as he stated. He had not divorced her before that or after that. When the aforementioned father was asked, he answered that he was not present at the incident, but his aforementioned daughter informed him that she heard her aforementioned husband say: “Take your things and rely on Allah for your family,” and that he repeated it three times, as the husband stated. The aforementioned wife’s guardian and her daughter know that he had not divorced her before that or after that.

Answer: Based on this, I issued a fatwa to both of them that one divorce has taken place on the aforementioned wife through this divorce, and he has the right to take her back as long as she is in the waiting period; because the scriptural evidence indicates this. The aforementioned husband took her back in my presence, in the presence of her father and a group of Muslims, and thereby she remained in his marriage bond. I advised him to fear Allah, to treat her with kindness, to be cautious of the causes of anger, and to seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan when it occurs.
Said by the one who is poor in need of the forgiveness of his Lord, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, President of the Islamic University in the Holy City of Madinah, may Allah forgive him, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon His servant and our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.