Does the first conditional divorce take effect if the wife leaves after her husband says to her: "You are divorced if you leave"? And does the husband's repetition of "You are divorced, you are divorced" count as one divorce or two?
The majority of scholars hold that a conditional divorce takes effect upon the fulfillment of the condition. So, if someone made his wife's divorce conditional upon her leaving the house, and she left, the divorce takes effect according to the majority. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, however, is of the view that the husband is required to offer an expiation for breaking an oath if he did not intend divorce. The divorce does not take effect if the husband specified a time for her departure and she left after its expiry, or if the reason for the oath ceased to exist. If the divorce takes effect, the husband can reconcile with his wife during her waiting period ('iddah). If the waiting period ends, he cannot reconcile except with a new marriage contract. If the husband says, "You are divorced twice," after reconciling with her, and he intended to confirm the first divorce, then only one divorce takes effect. But if he intended to issue two divorces or had no specific intention, then two divorces take effect. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah holds that only one divorce takes effect even if the husband intended two divorces. He also holds that divorce does not take effect if it occurred during menstruation or postpartum bleeding, or if there were multiple divorces during a single period of purity, or if it occurred during a period of purity in which sexual intercourse took place, or before reconciliation or renewal of the contract. If no reconciliation or renewal of the contract occurred, then the husband's divorce does not affect her. If three divorces have been issued, the wife becomes unlawful to him and she cannot return to him unless she marries another man and he consummates the marriage with her, and then divorces her. If the divorce is less than three, he may reconcile with her.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/119357