The ruling on one who divorced his wife with a final divorce

Question: The husband came to me, and his divorced wife came with him, along with those who know her. The aforementioned husband admitted that he had divorced the aforementioned wife with a final divorce that makes her forbidden to him and permissible to others, in writing rather than by spoken word. He presented to me a paper containing this, and mentioned that he had previously divorced her once and then taken her back. When the aforementioned wife was asked, she confirmed what her ex-husband said, and stated that she has no guardian present. When those who know her were asked, they confirmed what she said.

Answer: Based on this, I issued a fatwa to the aforementioned husband that his aforementioned divorce resulted in one divorce count being added to the previous one, leaving him with one divorce count remaining. He has the right to take her back as long as she is in the waiting period, because it is authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) what indicates this. We asked the wife, and she answered that she is still in the waiting period. Therefore, the aforementioned husband took her back in my presence, with the testimony of those mentioned and in her presence.
Said by the one who is poor in need of the forgiveness of his Lord, 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Baz, Deputy President of the Islamic University of Madinah al-Munawwarah, may Allah forgive him, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon His servant and messenger Muhammad, his family, and his companions.