Someone asked me: "If a person gives three divorces to his wife in a state of anger, will the divorce take place?"
I said, "Your question is not correct. Correct the question, then the answer can be considered."
He asked, "How so?" I said, "Repeat your question."
He repeated: "If a person gives three divorces to his wife in a state of anger, will the divorce take place?"
I asked him to repeat it again. He looked at me sideways and repeated it once more.
I then said, "The correct question is: If a person gives a divorce to his wife in a state of anger, will the divorce take place?"
He looked at me in surprise and asked, "What is the difference? That is exactly what I said!"
I replied, "Why did you add the word 'three'?"
Most of us believe that saying it three times is necessary for a divorce to happen. Then, people run after scholars for fatwas. Some say that in a certain Imam's school of thought, three divorces mean three. I agree with this, but I also say that if you have given three divorces due to ignorance, then accept the punishment of that ignorance happily.
The law of the Quran is clear and explicit. Denial of the Quran is when a person acts blindly on any life issue without reading or understanding the Quran and then runs after scholars later. The correct method of divorce is written in the Quran.
When one divorce is given, the wife is not thrown out of the house; they stay together. Both get a period of three Tuhrs (purity cycles) to think. This is the law of nature—meaning Allah has made laws according to human nature. A person gets angry temporarily, but as time passes, he reflects on his action. Thus, after one divorce, the couple stays together for a fixed period; if they realize their mistake, the home can be saved.
If the husband is willing to reconcile, he has the right to take her back into the marriage during this Iddah (waiting period). Women also have similar rights in a recognized manner, just as men have rights over them—meaning the right to return to the marriage. However, men have a "degree" over them, meaning the man can choose to exercise this right, and once the Iddah is over, both will separate.
Now, if they separate, they can marry each other again at any point in life; they should not be stopped from remarrying. Similarly, after a second divorce, there is another chance to think. You give one divorce, live together for a fixed period according to Allah's law, feel for each other, and reconcile. Or, they separate after the period ends and later remarry. If a dispute arises again and it reaches the point of divorce, there is still a chance to think after this second divorce.
However, after the third divorce, they cannot stay together. It is necessary to have a limit. Before Islam, people used to divorce many times and then reconcile, making the woman's life a torment.
Now, let's understand what "Halala" is.
After the third divorce, the woman will marry another husband—meaning a different person (if she wishes to)—and spend her whole life with him. This is the law of the Quran. There is no concept of "contractual Halala" here. If the second husband passes away or leaves her (divorces her), then the woman is allowed to marry the first husband if she wishes.
People have named this "Halala" and do it intentionally. After giving three divorces, they hire a "husband for one night" and perform this filthy act, which is Haram (forbidden). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The curse of Allah is upon the one who performs Halala and the one for whom it is performed."
