Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who said: "O Messenger of Allah, Rifa'ah has divorced me, and he has finalized my divorce." This is agreed upon (2). In the hadith of Fatimah bint Qays, it is mentioned that her husband sent her three divorce pronouncements (3). Furthermore, it is a divorce whose separation it is permissible to perform sequentially, so it is permissible to combine them, just like the divorce of women. The second opinion is that combining three divorces is a bid'ah (innovated/heretical) divorce and is prohibited. This was chosen by Abu Bakr and Abu Hafs. It was reported from Umar, Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, and Ibn Umar. This is the position of Malik and Abu Hanifah. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No one divorces according to the Sunnah and then regrets it." In another narration, he said: "He should divorce her once, then leave her between that moment and her menstruating three times, and whenever he wishes, he may take her back (4)." From Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), it is reported that when a man was brought to him who had divorced his wife three times, he would beat him painfully (5). Malik ibn al-Harith reported that a man came to Ibn Abbas and said: "My uncle divorced his wife three times." He replied: "Your uncle disobeyed Allah and obeyed Satan, and Allah did not provide him with a way out (6)." The basis for this is the saying of the Almighty: {O Prophet, when you divorce women, divorce them for their waiting period} up to His saying: {You do not know, perhaps Allah will bring about after that a matter} (7). Then He said after that: {And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out} (8).