Ruling on saying: “You are divorced three times, forbidden to me, effective immediately, for another”

Question: The husband, A. F., came to me, accompanied by his brother-in-law, M. H. The husband admitted that he had said to his wife: “Do not lock the room,” meaning a specific room known to both of them, “if you come home from work and you have locked it, then you are divorced three times, forbidden to me, effective immediately, for another.” He stated that he did not intend to divorce her, but only wanted to deter her from locking the room. When he returned from work, he found that she had locked it. He mentioned that he had sought a ruling from His Eminence Shaykh Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Hamid, who ruled that his aforementioned divorce is in the category of an oath, does not take effect, and that he owes the expiation for it, if the matter is as he stated. He also mentioned that he had appeared before His Eminence Shaykh A. K., who was a judge in Riyadh in 1385 AH, along with the aforementioned brother-in-law, and presented the aforementioned ruling to him, who approved it. He presented to me a document issued by the aforementioned Shaykh, bearing his seal, which confirmed the validity of what the aforementioned husband stated. The aforementioned husband admitted that he had divorced his aforementioned wife three times with a single phrase on the first of Jumada al-Ula, 1392 AH, and had not divorced her except as stated. When his father was asked, he answered that he did not know of any divorce from the husband other than what was stated.

Answer: Based on this, I ruled for both of them that one divorce has taken effect on the aforementioned wife due to the last divorce, and that he may take her back as long as she is in the waiting period. They both admitted that she was pregnant at the time. The husband took her back in my presence, in the presence of her father and a group of Muslims, and thereby she became under his protection. It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in a hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), what indicates this. We informed them that divorcing with three divorces is not permissible, and that the husband must repent from that.
Said and attested by the poor one to Allah the Exalted, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, may Allah forgive him, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
President of the Islamic University
In al-Madinah al-Munawwarah