and the earth has been made for me a place of prayer and a means of purification; war spoils have been made lawful for me, though they were not lawful for anyone before us; each prophet was sent specifically to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all mankind; and I have been granted intercession.”

Thus Allah, glorified be He, permitted the believers to marry, to divorce, and to remarry a divorced wife after she has married another man.

Christians forbid marriage to some of their members, and those whom they allow to marry are not allowed to divorce. Jews permit divorce, but if a divorced woman marries another man, they consider her forbidden to her former husband. Christians do not allow divorce, while Jews do not allow a man to take back his former wife after she has married someone else. Allah Most High has permitted the believers both.

If divorce were permitted without numerical limit—as it was initially—people would divorce continually, with nothing to deter them. The resulting harm and corruption necessitated prohibiting this. Nor does the harm caused by divorce concern only the wife’s rights—as in the case of divorce during menstruation—such that it would always become permissible at her request. Rather, scholars agree that divorce itself, when there is no need for it, is either forbidden or discouraged. Whatever is permitted because of a need is limited to the extent of that need. Three is the limit of what has been permitted to meet the need, just as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“It is not lawful for a Muslim to shun his brother for more than three nights: they meet, and each turns away from the other. The better of the two is the one who offers the greeting of peace first.”

Likewise, he said:

“It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn a deceased person for more than three days, except for her husband