Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that if a person gives his wife the right of choice and she chooses herself, then one irrevocable divorce will take place. And if she chooses her husband, then nothing will happen. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says that if she chooses herself, then one irrevocable divorce will take place, and if she chooses her husband, then also one divorce will take place, and the man will have more right to take her back.

Hazrat Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I do not care whether my wife, after being given the option, chooses one, a hundred, or a thousand divorces. I went to Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and asked her about this matter. She replied that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us the option, and we chose him. So, did this result in divorce?

Hazrat Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) was in Syria when he was asked: A man gave his wife the right of choice, and she gave the choice back to her husband—what is the ruling? He replied: This is nothing (i.e., it has no effect). The narrator says that Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) also used to say the same, and Hazrat Aban bin Uthman (may Allah have mercy on him) also gave the same verdict in Madinah.

Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when a man removes the matter of his wife from his own responsibility, then one divorce takes place, even if the woman chooses her husband himself.

Hazrat Zadhan (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that we were sitting with Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was asked about the matter of choice (ikhtiyar). He said that Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had asked me about this, so I said that if she chooses herself, then it is one irrevocable divorce (ba'inah), and if she chooses her husband, then it is one divorce, and the husband has more right to take her back. He (Umar) said, "What you have said is not correct. If she chooses herself, then it is one divorce and the man has more right to take her back, and if she chooses her husband, then nothing is binding and the man is more entitled to the woman." After Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen said this, I had no choice but to follow him. When I was made the leader and marriage issues began to be brought to me, I again adopted my previous opinion. It was said to him, "The opinion you hold in front of the congregation is more preferable to us than your solitary opinion." At this, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) smiled and said that they sent a message to Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked about this issue, so he said, "If she chooses herself, then three divorces have taken place, and if she chooses her husband, then it is one divorce."

Hazrat Ata (may Allah have mercy on him) says that if a man says to his wife, "Choose for yourself," then if she chooses herself, one divorce takes place, and if she chooses her husband, nothing happens.

Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) says that if a woman chooses herself, then three divorces take place, and if she chooses her husband, then one divorce takes place.

Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) says that if a woman chooses herself, then one divorce takes place and the man has more right to take her back, and if she chooses her husband, then nothing becomes obligatory.

Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us the option. We chose the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he did not consider this option as a divorce.

Hazrat Abu Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I asked Abu Ja'far (may Allah have mercy on him) that if a person gives his wife the right of choice and she chooses her husband, what is the ruling? He replied that this is nothing. I asked, if the woman chooses herself, what is the ruling? He replied that there will be one divorce and the man will have more right to take her back.

Hazrat Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: If a person gives his wife the right (of divorce), and the woman returns the right to the man and no decision is made in this matter, what is the ruling? He replied: This is nothing.

Hazrat Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: If a person gives his wife the right of choice, and the woman returns the choice to the man and no decision is made in this matter, what is the ruling? He replied: This is nothing.