The majority of narrations from Abu Abd Allah indicate a dislike for giving a formal legal opinion (fatwa) regarding these metonymic expressions, alongside his inclination toward the view that they constitute three divorces. Ibn Abi Musa narrated two reports from him in "al-Irshad": the first is that they count as three, and the second is that the matter is referred back to what the speaker intended. Abu al-Khattab selected the latter. This is the school of al-Shafi‘i, who said: 'The matter is referred back to what he intended (2). If he did not intend anything, one [divorce] occurs.' Similar to this is the view of al-Nakha‘i, except that he said: 'A definitive (ba'inah) divorce occurs, because his wording entails separation (al-baynunah) but does not entail a specific number.' Hanbal narrated from Ahmad what points toward this, as he said: 'He should increase her dowry if he intends to take her back.' If it had occurred as three, it would not be permissible for him to take her back, and if she were not definitively separated, he would not need to increase her dowry. Al-Shafi‘i argued based on what Abu Dawud (3) narrated with his chain of authority, that Rukanah ibn Abd Yazid divorced his wife Suhaymah definitively (al-battah), then informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) of that, and said: 'By Allah, I did not intend anything but one.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'By Allah, did you not intend anything but one?' Rukanah replied: 'By Allah, I did not intend anything but one.' So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned her to him. He then divorced her a second time during the era of Umar, and a third time during the era of Uthman. Ali ibn Muhammad al-Tanafisi said: 'How noble this hadith is.' [This is also] because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the daughter of al-Jawn: 'Join your family' (4), and the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have divorced her three times when he had forbidden his nation (5) from doing so. Furthermore, metonymies accompanied by intention are like explicit expressions; therefore, when used without qualification, no more than one divorce occurs, as in the case of his statement: 'You are divorced.' Al-Thawri and the scholars of opinion (ashab al-ra'y) said: 'If he intends three, then it is three; if he intends two or one, then one occurs, and two cannot occur. This is because metonymy entails separation without a specific number, and separation is of two types: minor and major. Minor is [achieved] by one, and major by three. If we were to cause two to occur, it would necessitate a specific number, and the expression does not necessitate that.' Rabi‘ah said,
(2) In A, B, and M: "nawa" (he intended). (3) In: "Chapter on the 'battah' (definitive divorce)," from the Book of Divorce. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/511. It was also recorded by al-Tirmidhi, in: "Chapter on what has been said regarding the man who divorces his wife definitively," from the Book of Divorce. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 5/131, 132. And Ibn Majah, in: "Chapter on the definitive divorce," from the Book of Divorce. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/661. (4) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: "Chapter on whoever divorces and whether a man should face his wife with the divorce," from the Book of Divorce. Sahih al-Bukhari 7/53. And al-Nasa'i, in: "Chapter on facing the woman with the divorce," from the Book of Divorce. al-Mujtaba 6/122. And Ibn Majah, in: "Chapter on the speech with which divorce occurs," from the Book of Divorce. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/661. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 5/339. (5) Omitted from B and M.
أكثرُ الرِّواياتِ عن أبى عبدِ اللَّهِ، كَراهيةُ الفُتْيا فى هذه الكناياتِ، مع مَيْلِه إلى أنَّها ثلاثٌ، وحَكَى ابنُ أبى موسى، فى "الإِرْشادِ" عنه روايتيْنِ؛ إحْداهما، أنَّها ثلاثٌ. والثَّانيةُ، يُرْجَعُ إلى ما نَواه. اختارَها أبو الخَطَّابِ. وهو مذهبُ الشَّافعىِّ، قال: يُرْجَعُ إلى ما نَوَاهُ (٢)، فإن لم يَنْوِ شيئًا وقَعتْ واحدةٌ. ونحوُه قولُ النَّخَعِىِّ، إلَّا أنَّه قال: يَقَعُ طلقةٌ بائنةٌ؛ لأنَّ لفظَه يَقْتَضِى البَيْنُونةَ، ولا يَقْتضِى عَدَدًا. ورَوَى حَنْبَلٌ، عن أحمدَ، ما يَدلُّ على هذا؛ فإنَّه قال: يَزِيدُها فى مهرِها إن أرادَ رَجْعتَها. ولو وقَعَ ثلاثًا لم يُبَحْ له رَجْعتُها، ولو لم تَبِنْ لم يَحْتَجْ إلى زيادهٍ فى مَهْرِها. واحتجَّ الشّافعىُّ بما رَوَى أبو داودَ (٣) بإسنادِه، أنَّ رُكَانَةَ بنَ عبدِ يَزِيدَ طلَّقَ امرأتَه سُهَيْمَةَ الْبتَّةَ، فأخْبَرَ النَّبِىَّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- بذلك، وقال: واللَّه ما أردتُ إلَّا واحدةً. فقال رسولُ اللَّهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-: "آللَّه ما أَرَدْتَ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً؟ " فقال رُكانةُ: آللَّهِ ما أردتُ إلَّا واحدةً. فردَّها إليه رسولُ اللَّه -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، فطلَّقَها الثّانيةَ فى زمنِ عمرَ، والثَّالثةَ فى زمنِ عثمانَ. قال علىُّ بنُ محمدٍ الطَّنَافِسِىُّ: ما أشْرفَ هذا الحديثَ. ولأنّ النَّبِىَّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- قال لابنةِ الْجَوْنِ: "الْحَقِى بِأَهْلِكِ" (٤). ولم يَكُنِ النَّبىُّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- ليُطَلِّقَ ثلاثًا وقد نَهَى أُمَّتَه (٥) عن ذلك، ولأنَّ الكناياتِ مع النِّيَّةِ كالصَّريحِ، فلم يَقَعْ به عندَ الإِطْلاقِ أكثرُ مِن واحدةٍ، كقوله: أنتِ طالقٌ. وقال الثَّورِىُّ، وأصحابُ الرَّأْىِ: إن نَوَى ثلاثًا فثلاثٌ، وإن نَوَى اثنتَيْنِ أو واحدةً وقَعت واحدةٌ، ولا يَقعُ اثنتان؛ لأنَّ الكنايةَ تَقْتضِى البَيْنُونةَ دونَ العَدَدِ، والبَيْنُونةُ بَيْنُونَتانِ صُغْرَى وكُبْرَى، فالصُّغْرَى بالواحدةِ، والكُبْرَى بالثَّلاثِ، ولو أوْقَعْنا اثنَتيْنِ كان مُوجِبُه العَدَدَ، وهى لا تَقْتضِيه. وقال رَبيعةُ،
(٢) فى أ، ب، م: "نوى".(٣) فى: باب فى البتة، من كتاب الطلاق. سنن أبى داود ١/ ٥١١.كما أخرجه الترمذى، فى: باب ما جاء فى الرجل يطلق امرأته البتة، من كتاب الطلاق. عارضة الأحوذى ٥/ ١٣١، ١٣٢. وابن ماجه، فى: باب طلاق البتة، من كتاب الطلاق. سنن ابن ماجه ١/ ٦٦١.(٤) أخرجه البخارى، فى: باب من طلق وهل يواجه الرجل امرأته بالطلاق، من كتاب الطلاق. صحيح البخارى ٧/ ٥٣. والنسائى، فى: باب مواجهة الرجل المرأة بالطلاق، من كتاب الطلاق. المجتبى ٦/ ١٢٢. وابن ماجه، فى: ياب ما يقع به الطلاق من الكلام، من كتاب الطلاق. سنن ابن ماجه ١/ ٦٦١. والإمام أحمد، فى: المسند ٥/ ٣٣٩.(٥) سقط من: ب، م.
