Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 19135 — A man divorcing his wife irrevocably

Al-Sha'bi said: Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) asked Shurayh (may Allah have mercy on him) about this. He excused himself from giving any answer, and at the insistence of Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) he said: Allah Almighty laid down the Shari'ah for acting upon the religion, but people invented many new things in it, and they mixed the innovations with the Sunnahs. When any such matter comes to you, separate out the Sunnahs and judge according to them, and hand the innovations over to the people of innovation. As for the matter of divorce (talaq), it is something well known, whereas 'irrevocable' (al-battah) is an innovation, which depends on the man's intention: if he wishes he may move forward, and if he wishes he may hold back.