Is a wife considered divorced if her husband jokingly says, "You are divorced by three," and then repeats an oath of divorce two more times: the first if the wife continues to be shy, and the second if she does not wash his clothes on the same day?
Most scholars believe that a divorce uttered in jest is effective, and that a triple divorce pronounced at once counts as three divorces. This is the fatwa we adhere to. Thus, the wife is divorced with a triple divorce and is irrevocably separated (bainunah kubra).
However, some scholars, such as Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, hold the view that a triple divorce pronounced at once counts as only one divorce. Furthermore, they believe that if an oath of divorce is made for the purpose of threat and not with the intention of effecting divorce, then an expiation for breaking an oath (kaffarat yamin) becomes obligatory upon violating it.
It is advisable to present the issue to trustworthy scholars in your country.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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