A man with several wives who says "One of you is divorced" without naming her

Ma'mar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I asked Hammad (may Allah have mercy on him): If a man has four wives and he says, "His wife is divorced," what is the ruling? He said: He may place his hand on whichever of them he wishes.

Ma'mar said: Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) used to say the same.

Abu Ja'far (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When a man said this, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) drew lots among them.

Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) and al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he named one of them, then it is she who is divorced; and if he did not name any, then all of them are divorced.

Something similar is reported from al-Sha'bi.

An overseer ('arif) of Banu Sa'd asked al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him), and the ruler had made him take an oath. He said: You have what you intended.

Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man has three wives and he says, "His wife is divorced," then if he intended one of them, it is she whom he intended who is divorced; and if he did not intend any of them, he may choose whichever of them he wishes. The same ruling applies to ila' and zihar.

Abu Ja'far (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: A man had four wives. One of them looked in on him, and he said, "You are divorced irrevocably." When he came to them, each of them began saying that it was the other one, and he could not recognise which one she was. What is the ruling? Abu Ja'far (may Allah have mercy on him) said: All of them are separated from him.