such as Dāwūd and his followers, and a group among the followers of Abū Hanīfa, Mālik, and Ahmad. This is also reported from Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir, Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq, and others of the Prophet’s household. It is the position of the literalists—Dāwūd and his followers—although some of them do not regard pronouncing three divorces together as prohibited.

Among the followers of Abū Hanīfa, Mālik, and Ahmad are some who are known to hold that, when three divorces are pronounced together, they do not all take effect; rather, only one takes effect. Their position on divorcing a menstruating woman, however, is not known. Nevertheless, the view that all the divorces take effect is held by groups among the speculative theologians and the Shīʿa.

Among both these groups are those who say that, if a man pronounces three divorces together, none takes effect at all. This, however, is an innovated position whose advocates have no known predecessor among the Companions or those who followed them in righteousness. And groups among the speculative theologians and the Shīʿa. Ibn Hazm, however, who belongs to the literalists, does not regard pronouncing three divorces together as prohibited; he therefore holds that they take effect. Most literalists regard this as prohibited and hold that only one divorce takes effect.

Some of these scholars’ positions on triple divorce are known, while their positions on divorce during menstruation are not, as with those followers of Abū Hanīfa and Mālik from whom this view is transmitted. It has been reported from Ibn Umar through two routes that such a divorce does not take effect. Through other, better-known and more reliable routes, however, it has been reported from him that it does take effect. This has also been reported from Zayd.

As for “pronouncing three divorces together,” the Companions’ positions on this are numerous and well known. The view that they take effect has been reported from Umar, Uthmān, Ali, Ibn Masʿūd, Ibn Abbās, Ibn Umar, Abū Hurayra, Imrān ibn Husayn, and others. The view that they do not take effect has been reported from Abū Bakr, from Umar during the early part of his caliphate, and also from Ali ibn Abī Tālib, Ibn Masʿūd, and Ibn Abbās, as well as from al-Zubayr and Abd al-Rahmān ibn Awf. May Allah be pleased with them all.