distinguishes between the true nature of zihār, īlā’, and divorce. Such a person understands the limits of what Allah has revealed to His Messenger, neither including within those limits what falls outside them nor excluding what falls within them.
Likewise, “release for compensation” has a distinct nature that sets it apart from the three divorces. It is therefore impermissible to subsume divorce under release for compensation, or release for compensation under divorce. Even if someone describes one using the wording of the other, or intends one to produce the legal effect of the other, this is like intending, through a single divorce or release for compensation, to make his wife unlawful for him until she marries another husband. The intention to produce this legal effect is invalid; likewise, his intention that it count as one of the three divorces is invalid. Allah has only made her unlawful for him until she marries another husband after the third divorce. Whoever intends this legal effect through anything other than that divorce has intended something contrary to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger.
Likewise, whoever intends an irrevocable separation to use up one of the three divorces has intended something contrary to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger, and he has no right to do so. If he intends either of these effects out of ignorance of the ruling of Allah and His Messenger, he is like someone who intends, through any other contract, something contrary to their ruling. He is thus ignorant of the Sunnah and must be brought back to it, as ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said: “Refer matters arising from ignorance back to the Sunnah.” Likewise, a group of the early generations said concerning someone who pronounces three divorces in a single utterance: “He is ignorant of the Sunnah and must be brought back to it.”
The Prophet’s words—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to the husband granting release for compensation,
“And divorce her once,”
permit him a single divorce in exchange for compensation and forbid him from adding any more. It has already been explained that the Quran and Sunnah indicate that “divorce in accordance with the Sunnah” consists of pronouncing a single divorce, then either taking her back or leaving her until her waiting period expires, and that whenever he divorces her