nor does it count if he directs it at her fingernail or anything of that nature.

If a husband who has consummated the marriage says to his wife, “You are divorced,” and then repeats the phrase, the total number of divorces equals the number of repetitions, unless he intended the repetition merely as emphasis—which is permissible—or simply to make her understand. Yet if he repeats it with the particle bal (“rather”), thumma (“then”), or fa (“so”), or if—before, after, or together with it¹—he adds the words “one divorce,” two divorces take effect. Should the marriage not yet have been consummated, she is separated by the first pronouncement and nothing said afterwards is binding on him. In this respect, a conditional (muʿallaq) divorce is treated like an unconditional one.

Section

It is valid for him² to exclude one-half or less from the total number of divorces—or from the total number of women being divorced. Thus, if he states, “You are divorced—two divorces except one,” a single divorce occurs; if he says, “Three divorces except one,” then two divorces occur. If, in his heart, he exempts one of the wives rather than a portion of the divorces, the exception is effective for the number of women, not for the number of divorces. For example, if he declares, “All four of you are divorced except So-and-so,”³ the exception stands.

An exception that is not customarily linked to the statement is invalid: if it is detached such that the sentence can stand without it, it is null. Furthermore, the intention to make the exception must precede the completion of the statement from which the exception is taken.