Why does Islam stipulate that a divorced woman must marry another man before her former husband can marry her again?

A servant must comply with Allah Almighty's commands and be convinced that all His rulings are wisdom, goodness, and benefit, for He knows best what is good for His servants. A servant may or may not know the wisdom behind a command or prohibition, but he is ordered to comply because this is the nature of a servant's relationship with his Lord, and disputing the Creator leads one out of faith. This does not prevent a servant from asking and seeking wisdom to increase his faith.

Making the divorce three-fold contains mercy and wisdom. It prevents a man from rushing into divorce and toying with the woman, and it preserves the family. If a man could reconcile with his wife after every divorce, he would inflict harm upon her. However, with the man knowing that the third divorce irrevocably ends the marital relationship unless she marries another, he hesitates to proceed with divorce except in the most extreme necessity.

Furthermore, multiple divorces provide an opportunity for the man to re-evaluate himself. The first may be a slip, the second an experience, and the third an indication that life between them is not stable, and separation might be a mercy for both of them.

Al-Tahoor Ibn Ashour believes that the wisdom of this legislation lies in deterring husbands from trivializing their wives' rights. Ibn Al-Humam Al-Hanafi holds that repeating divorce three times allows the man an opportunity to test himself and understand the truth of his feelings before the complete separation occurs.