To divorce one‘s wife thrice (at a time)

Narrated Sahl bin Sad As-Sa'idi:

Uwaimir Al-'Ajlani came to 'Asim bin Adi Al-Ansari and asked, "O 'Asim! Tell me, if a man sees his wife with another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him in Qisas, or what should he do? O 'Asim! Please ask Allah's Apostle about that." 'Asim asked Allah's Apostle about that. Allah's Apostle disliked that question and considered it disgraceful. What 'Asim heard from Allah's Apostle was hard on him. When he returned to his family, 'Uwaimir came to him and said "O 'Asim! What did Allah's Apostle say to you?" 'Asim said, "You never bring me any good. Allah's Apostle disliked to hear the problem which I asked him about." 'Uwaimir said, "By Allah, I will not leave the matter till I ask him about it." So 'Uwaimir proceeded till he came to Allah's Apostle who was in the midst of the people and said, "O Allah's Apostle! If a man finds with his wife another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him (in Qisas): or otherwise, what should he do?" Allah's Apostle ﷺ said, "Allah has revealed something concerning the question of you and your wife. Go and bring her here." So they both carried out the judgment of Lian, while I was present among the people (as a witness). When both of them had finished, 'Uwaimir said, "O Allah's Apostle! If I should now keep my wife with me, then I have told a lie". Then he pronounced his decision to divorce her thrice before Allah's Apostle ordered him to do so. (Ibn Shihab said, "That was the tradition for all those who are involved in a case of Lian."

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيَّ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُوَيْمِرًا الْعَجْلاَنِيَّ جَاءَ إِلَى عَاصِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا عَاصِمُ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً، أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَقْتُلُونَهُ، أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ سَلْ لِي يَا عَاصِمُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَسَأَلَ عَاصِمٌ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَسَائِلَ وَعَابَهَا حَتَّى كَبُرَ عَلَى عَاصِمٍ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ عَاصِمٌ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ جَاءَ عُوَيْمِرٌ فَقَالَ يَا عَاصِمُ مَاذَا قَالَ لَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ عَاصِمٌ لَمْ تَأْتِنِي بِخَيْرٍ، قَدْ كَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَسْأَلَةَ الَّتِي سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهَا. قَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَنْتَهِي حَتَّى أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا فَأَقْبَلَ عُوَيْمِرٌ حَتَّى أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَسَطَ النَّاسِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً، أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَقْتُلُونَهُ، أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ وَفِي صَاحِبَتِكَ فَاذْهَبْ فَأْتِ بِهَا ". قَالَ سَهْلٌ فَتَلاَعَنَا وَأَنَا مَعَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَا قَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ كَذَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتُهَا، فَطَلَّقَهَا ثَلاَثًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَكَانَتْ تِلْكَ سُنَّةُ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ.

Narrated 'Aisha:

The wife of Rifa'a Al-Qurazi came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Rifa'a divorced me irrevocably. After him I married 'Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubair Al-Qurazi who proved to be impotent." Allah's Apostle ﷺ said to her, "Perhaps you want to return to Rifa'a? Nay (you cannot return to Rifa'a) until you and 'Abdur-Rahman consummate your marriage."

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُفَيْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُقَيْلٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ امْرَأَةَ رِفَاعَةَ الْقُرَظِيِّ جَاءَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ رِفَاعَةَ طَلَّقَنِي فَبَتَّ طَلاَقِي، وَإِنِّي نَكَحْتُ بَعْدَهُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ الزَّبِيرِ الْقُرَظِيَّ، وَإِنَّمَا مَعَهُ مِثْلُ الْهُدْبَةِ. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " لَعَلَّكِ تُرِيدِينَ أَنْ تَرْجِعِي إِلَى رِفَاعَةَ، لاَ، حَتَّى يَذُوقَ عُسَيْلَتَكِ وَتَذُوقِي عُسَيْلَتَهُ ".