Does an unintended verbal divorce issued by the husband while joking, after the marriage contract and before full consummation, take effect, and what is the Shar'i ruling on taking the wife back after such a divorce?

If a man utters the words of divorce in jest, the divorce takes effect. If he utters them forgetting that the marriage had taken place, the majority opinion is that it takes effect, although some jurists hold that it does not. If he utters them by mistake without intending the utterance, such as a slip of the tongue, then the divorce does not take effect. In the event that divorce occurs after a valid seclusion (khalwa (definition) sahiha), the husband can take his wife back before the expiry of her 'iddah (definition) (waiting period).