of a vow that, according to the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the unanimous agreement of the scholars, he is obliged to fulfill.

If, however, he suspends a vow in the manner of an oath, intending thereby to urge or deter, and says, “If I travel with you,” or “If I marry off so-and-so, then pilgrimage becomes binding on me,” or “my wealth is to be given in charity,” then—according to the Companions and the majority of scholars—he is regarded as one who has sworn an oath by means of a vow, not as one who has actually made a vow. Consequently, if he fails to carry out what he bound himself to, the expiation for an oath suffices.

Resolution of the Council of Senior Scholars on the Question of Triple Divorce Pronounced in a Single Utterance (Resolution 18, dated 12/11/1393 AH):

The Council of Senior Scholars stated: After studying the matter of triple divorce pronounced in one wording, exchanging views, reviewing the opinions expressed on the issue, and discussing the evidence for each position, the Council—by majority vote—adopted the view that a triple divorce pronounced in a single utterance counts as three divorces. Five members dissented, namely:

Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Razzaq ʿAfīfī, Shaykh ʿAbd Allah Khayyāṭ, Shaykh Rāshid ibn Khunayn, and Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Jubayr.

These five expressed the following viewpoint:

All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon His Messenger and his family. To proceed:

We hold that triple divorce pronounced in one wording counts as a single divorce.

The compiler added: Each of the two sides presented its respective evidence and what it regarded as correct.