and the divorce takes effect. If, however, the condition is fulfilled when she is no longer under his ownership, the oath is dissolved and nothing occurs.

Should the two disagree about whether the condition has in fact been realised, the husband’s word prevails unless she can produce evidence. Yet if the condition can only be known from her side, her statement is accepted with respect to herself. Thus, if he says, “If you menstruate you are divorced,” and she declares, “I have menstruated,” the divorce comes into force. If he says, “When you menstruate you and So-and-so are divorced,” and she announces, “I have menstruated,” she alone is divorced; So-and-so is not. Likewise, if he tells her, “When you menstruate you are divorced,” and she sees blood, the divorce does not occur until the bleeding lasts three full days; once the three days are complete, we rule that the divorce is effective from the moment the period began. If he says, “When you have one menstrual period you are divorced,” she is not divorced until she becomes pure from that period.

A female slave can be divorced only twice, whether her husband is free or a slave, whereas a free woman can be divorced three times, regardless of her husband’s status.

If a man pronounces three divorces upon his wife before consummation, all three take effect; but if he separates them, she is irrevocably divorced by the first, and the second does not count. If he says, “You are divorced, and one,” only one divorce is counted. If he says, “You are divorced—one,” a single divorce results. If he says, “One before it, and one,” two divorces take effect. If he says, “and one after it,” only one counts. If he says, “one after one,” or “together with one,” or “along with one,” two divorces are effected.

If he tells her, “If you enter the house you are divorced—one,” and she does enter, a single divorce is effected according to Abu Ḥanīfah. If he says, “You are divorced in Mecca,” she is divorced everywhere, and the same ruling applies if he says, “You are divorced in the house.” If he says, “You are divorced when you enter Mecca,” she is not divorced until she actually enters Mecca. If he says, “You are divorced tomorrow,” the divorce takes effect at dawn.

When a man says to his wife, “Choose yourself,” intending thereby to authorise divorce, or says, “Divorce yourself,” she may issue the divorce as long as she remains in that same sitting. If she rises or engages in something else, the mandate passes out of her hand. Should she choose herself in response to his words “Choose,” she becomes