this by saying, “Glory be to Allah twice,” or “a hundred times,” he would have glorified Allah only once. Allah Most High did not say, “Divorce consists of two pronouncements.” Rather, He said, “Twice.” Thus, if a man tells his wife, “You are divorced twice,” or “three times,” or “ten times,” or “a thousand times,” he has divorced her only once.

As for the Prophet’s statement (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to the Mother of the Believers, Juwayriyyah:

“Since leaving you, I have said four phrases which, if weighed against everything you have said today, would equal them in weight: Glory be to Allah to the number of His creation. Glory be to Allah to the weight of His Throne. Glory be to Allah to the measure of His pleasure. Glory be to Allah to the measure of the ink of His words.”

Muslim recorded this in his Sahīh. Its meaning is that He, glorified be He, deserves glorification in such measure. It is like the Prophet’s saying (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

“Our Lord, to You belongs all praise, enough to fill the heavens, to fill the earth, to fill all that is between them, and to fill whatever else You will.”

It does not mean that the person has actually glorified Him to that extent. A measure may describe the servant’s action, which is finite; or it may describe what the Lord deserves, and that is what is immeasurably great. Otherwise, if someone praying were to say during his prayer, “Glory be to Allah to the number of His creation,” he would still have glorified Allah only once.

The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prescribed glorifying Allah thirty-three times after every prayer, praising Him thirty-three times, and declaring His greatness thirty-three times. If someone were to say, “Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, and Allah is greatest—to the number of His creation,” he would have glorified Allah only once.

We know of no instance during the Prophet’s lifetime in which a man divorced his wife three times in a single utterance and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) held him bound by all three divorces. Nor has any authentic or good hadith been transmitted to that effect, nor have the authors of the authoritative books transmitted anything to that effect;