Talaq by the words “one, two, three”

Question

Question: A man went to his in-laws’ home to fetch his wife and, on arriving, demanded to take her away. The girl’s parents said: “Take her away as soon as you see the new moon of Sha‘ban.” There was much wrangling. The said husband said: “I will take her now, otherwise I will say something else.” The father-in-law said: “Whatever you are going to say, say it.” The said husband at once said: “ایک دو تین نہ جانے طلاق دی” (literally “one, two, three, who knows, — I gave talaq”)

Answer

If by “one, two, three” too talaq itself was meant, then a major (mughallaza) divorce has taken place, and without halala not even a renewed nikah is possible. If that was not meant, but rather the sense was, “I have given talaq at once, right now, without any waiting or delay”, then one revocable (raj‘i) talaq has taken effect.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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