Is Khulʿ a divorce or an annulment of marriage, taking into consideration what was reported from Uthman and Ibn Abbas — may Allah be pleased with them both?

The disagreement among the Salaf regarding whether khulʿ (divorce at the wife's instance) is an annulment or a divorce is established and ancient. This issue is subject to ijtihad (definition) (independent reasoning). Therefore, a seeker of knowledge acts upon what he finds most preponderant, while a layperson is permitted to act upon the fatwa (definition) (religious edict) of those scholars whom he trusts, based on the Almighty's saying: "So ask the people of the message if you do not know."