Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d Sa’idi رضي الله عنه, narrating the incident of the li’an of ‘Uwaymir ‘Ajlani, says that he divorced his wife three times before the command of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Ibn Shihab رحمه الله says that this is the method of li’an.