"Divorce is twice." Yahya said: It has reached us that the people of the Pre-Islamic Era (Jahiliyyah) had no limit on divorce; one of them would divorce ten times, or less than that, or more. Then Allah set the limit of divorce at three. He then said: "Divorce is twice; then keep them in an acceptable manner or release them with good treatment." It has reached us that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, regarding the saying of Allah: 'Divorce is twice,' then where is the third?" He replied: "It is His saying, the Almighty: 'or release them with good treatment.'"
﴿الطَّلَاق مَرَّتَانِ﴾ قَالَ يَحْيَى: بلغنَا أَن أهل الْجَاهِلِيَّة لم يكن لَهُم حد فِي الطَّلَاق، كَانَ يُطلق أحدهم الْعشْر وَأَقل من ذَلِكَ وَأكْثر، فَجعل اللَّه حد الطَّلَاق ثَلَاثًا، ثمَّ قَالَ: ﴿الطَّلاقُ مَرَّتَانِ فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوف أَو تَسْرِيح بِإِحْسَان﴾ وبلغنا أَن رجلا قَالَ: ((يَا رَسُول الله، قَول الله: ﴿الطَّلَاق مَرَّتَانِ﴾ فَأَيْنَ الثَّالِثَة؟ قَالَ: قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿أَو تَسْرِيح بِإِحْسَان﴾.
