Allah Most High has commanded, then Allah will grant him a way out of difficulties that constrain others. Whoever transgresses Allah’s limits by doing what Allah has forbidden him has wronged himself. If someone was unaware that innovated forms of divorce are prohibited, not knowing that divorce during menstruation or pronouncing three divorces at once is forbidden, then, once he learns of the prohibition and repents, he becomes one of those who fear Allah and thus deserves to be granted a way out by Allah.

If someone knew that this was forbidden but committed it, believing that his wife thereby became unlawful to him, and had access only to those who ruled that she became unlawful to him, then he is punished in proportion to his wrongdoing—just as the Sabbath-breakers were punished by having the fish prevented from coming to them. Since he did not fear Allah, he was punished with hardship.

But if Allah guides him, makes the truth known to him and inspires him to repent, and he repents, then one who repents of a sin is like one who has no sin. He has then joined those who fear Allah and thus deserves to be granted relief and a way out by Allah. Our Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the Prophet of mercy and the Prophet of battle. Everyone who repents therefore has a means of relief under his law, unlike the law prescribed for those before us, under which those who repented were subjected to punishments such as killing themselves and other such penalties.

For this reason, when Ibn ‘Abbās was asked about someone who had divorced his wife three times, he would say to him: “Had you feared Allah, He would have granted you a way out.” At times, he agreed with ‘Umar in treating the three divorces as binding upon those who repeatedly committed this forbidden innovation despite knowing that it was prohibited. It is also reported that, at other times, he treated only one divorce as binding.

Ibn Mas‘ūd would become angry with those who practised this innovation and say: “People! Whoever approaches the matter in the proper way will find it clear. Otherwise, by Allah, we cannot cope with everything you introduce.”