Moreover, it is certain that if his purpose was in fact to make the divorce dependent on her doing the act, then the divorce takes effect. If no previous pronouncement had already brought the total up to three, this counts as a revocable divorce, and he may take her back so long as she is still in her waiting period. However, if this declaration completes the third pronouncement, she is separated from him with a major, irrevocable separation and is not lawful for him again until she has first married another husband.
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Question: I am working in the Republic of Yemen and live with two colleagues in a flat that has three rooms. On one occasion I got into an argument with one of the colleagues about some matter, became angry, and said, “Upon me is divorce—three times over—if I sit with you in this room.” I was in a state of anger at the time, and I am not sure whether I actually said “three times” or not, although some of the colleagues who were present say that I did not say “three.” I later regretted this greatly; in fact, I moved my bedding and no longer sat in that room, but took another room in the same flat. Nevertheless, I am sometimes compelled to enter that room when the need arises. Does any divorce take effect because of this? Please note that I have only concluded the marriage contract with a young woman and have not yet consummated the marriage.

Answer: First, a person should not keep divorce close to his tongue, uttering it on every occasion. Divorce is a weighty word that carries serious consequences and harms; a Muslim must therefore keep it far from his tongue and not adopt it as a weapon, pronouncing it whenever something occurs.

As for what issued from you, dear questioner—namely that you quarrelled with your colleague, or with your colleagues, and then uttered a divorce formula stipulating that you would not enter a room in which the person with whom you had the dispute