Some scholars have said that there is nothing wrong with excepting more than half. You have no right to restrict people in their forms of expression. Even if we assume that this is not eloquent Arabic, it is nevertheless an intelligible meaning. If you deem it intelligible in the case of a description—even to the extent that the entire group from which the exception is made may be removed—then why do you not permit it in the case of numbers?

This is the stronger view: it is valid to except more than half, because the criterion is the meaning and what the speaker intended. Whether or not the wording is eloquent in Arabic is a separate matter. Certainly, we would say to one who says, “I owe you ten, except seven,” that this is improper wording; but it is not correct to hold him liable for all ten.

An exception may be made regarding the number of divorces and the number of wives being divorced. Thus, if he says, “You are divorced by two divorces, except one,” then one divorce takes effect. If he says, “Three, except one,” then two divorces take effect. If he mentally makes an exception from the number of wives being divorced, this is valid, unlike an exception from the number of divorces. And if he says, “All four of you, except so-and-so, are divorced,” the exception is valid. ............................................

His statement: “Regarding the number of divorces and the number of wives being divorced: if he says, ‘You are divorced by two divorces, except one,’ then one takes effect; and if he says, ‘Three, except one,’ then two divorces take effect.” An example concerning the wives being divorced is for him to say, “My four wives are divorced, except three”; in that case, all four are divorced.

His statement: “If he mentally makes an exception from the number of wives being divorced, it is valid, unlike an exception from the number of divorces.” Here there are two issues:

The first issue: if he makes an exception from the number of wives being divorced, this has two forms:

The first: that he expresses it in general terms without stating a number, and mentally excludes