The arguments by which Barelvi and Deobandi scholars consider three divorces in one sitting as three separate divorces: A numbered analytical review of their arguments
First of all, a strong argument is presented that if a person divorces his wife three times in one sitting, then three divorces take place.
➊ As you observe
نَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ ،
نَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الصُّوفِيُّ ،
نَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ الْقُرَشِيُّ ،
نَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَطَرٍ ،
عَنْ عَبْدِ الْغَفُورِ ،
عَنْ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ ،
عَنْ زَاذَانَ ،
عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ،
قَالَ: سَمِعَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
” رَجُلا طَلَّقَ الْبَتَّةَ فَغَضِبَ،
وَقَالَ: تَتَّخِذُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ هُزُوًا،
أَوْ دِينَ اللَّهِ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا،
مَنْ طَلَّقَ الْبَتَّةَ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ ثَلاثًا،
لَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ حَتَّى تَنْكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ “
, إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ,
هَذَا كُوفِيٌّ ضَعِيفُ الْحَدِيثِ.
Translation
Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad
صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ
heard a man (or about a man) who had pronounced triple divorce to his wife, then the Prophet
صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ
became angry and said: You people mock the verses of Allah. (The narrator doubts these words) You play with the laws of Allah’s religion. Whoever pronounces triple divorce, we will consider his three divorces as effective, and that woman will not be lawful for that man until she marries another man and becomes widowed or divorced. The narrator Ismail bin Abu Amiyah is considered weak in hadith.
Although after narrating this presented hadith, Imam al-Daraqutni said
نَصبُ الرَّايَةِ لِأَحَادِيثِ الهِدَايَةِ: (3 / 336)
This hadith itself is weak; its narrators are weak.
One of the narrators of this hadith, Ismail ibn Abi Umayyah, is a weak and abandoned narrator of hadith,
There are various opinions of the great muhaddithin regarding إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ, but overall they have considered him weak and some have declared him abandoned. Below are some statements:
◈ يَحْيَى بْنُ مَعِينٍ:
> قَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مَعِينٍ: لَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ.
(Meaning he is nothing – this is a sign of extreme weakness)
◈ ابنُ عدِي:
> قَالَ ابْنُ عَدِيٍّ: لَهُ أَحَادِيثُ لَا يُتَابَعُ عَلَيْهَا.
(He has narrations that are not followed)
◈ ابنُ حِبَّان:
> قَالَ ابْنُ حِبَّانَ: كَانَ يَغْلَطُ وَيُخَالِفُ، لَا يَجُوزُ الِاحْتِجَاجُ بِهِ.
(He used to make mistakes and narrate contradictory reports; his narration cannot be relied upon)
◈ الذَّهَبِي:
> وَقَالَ الذَّهَبِيُّ: مَتْرُوكٌ.
(Meaning an abandoned narrator)
Summary:
Many muhaddithin have declared إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ weak, even abandoned. Therefore, his solitary narrations are not accepted, especially when they contradict trustworthy narrators or are anomalous.
➋ The second reason is the weakness of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAṭāʾ al-Quṭrī
He is weak and a liar, and this narrator is not considered trustworthy.
◈ يَحْيَى بْنُ مَعِينٍ:
> قَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مَعِينٍ: عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ لَا تُكْتَبُ حَدِيثُهُ.
(His hadith will not be recorded – meaning his narration is unreliable)
◈ ابنُ حِبَّان:
> قَالَ ابْنُ حِبَّانَ: كَانَ يَضَعُ الْحَدِيثَ، يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُجْتَنَبَ.
(He used to fabricate hadiths; it is obligatory to avoid him)
◈ Imam Bukhari:
> قَالَ الْبُخَارِيُّ: مُنْكَرُ الْحَدِيثِ.
(Meaning his narration is rejected – he reports anomalous and rejected narrations)
◈ الذَّهَبِي:
> وَقَالَ الذَّهَبِيُّ: تَرَكَهُ أَحْمَدُ وَيَحْيَى، وَقَالَ ابْنُ حِبَّانَ: يَضَعُ الْحَدِيثَ.
(Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and Yaḥyā abandoned him, and Ibn Ḥibbān said that he fabricates hadiths)
Summary:
There is severe criticism on عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ الْقَطَّانُ or القُطْرِيّ:
◈ Imam Bukhari called him a fabricator of hadith,
◈ Ibn Ḥibbān declared him a waḍḍāʿ (fabricator of hadith),
◈ Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn said his hadith will not be recorded.
Therefore, this narrator is counted among liars or fabricators, and his hadiths are unacceptable.
➌ The third narrator ʿAbdul-Ghafūr
These too are weak; strict opinions of the great Muhaddithin have been narrated about Abdul Ghafoor. Although there are many narrators with the name “Abdul Ghafoor,” the one mentioned by Allama Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam Adi, Imam Bukhari, and Allama Muhammad Tahir usually refers to عَبْدُ الْغَفُورِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ, or عَبْدُ الْغَفُورِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ, or عَبْدُ الْغَفُورِ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ. Most of these have been called weak, unknown, or liars.
Let us see the opinions of the Muhaddithin about them:
◈ Imam Ibn Adi (d. 365 AH):
> قَالَ: عِنْدَهُ مُنَاكِيرُ، وَهُوَ فِي جُمْلَةِ الضُّعَفَاءِ.
(He has fabricated hadiths and is among the weak narrators)
◈ Imam Bukhari:
> قَالَ الْبُخَارِيُّ: فِيهِ نَظَرٌ.
(There is criticism on him, meaning he is not reliable)
◈ Allama Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH):
> قَالَ: هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةُ فِيهَا ضُعْفٌ، لِأَنَّ فِي سَنَدِهَا مَجَاهِيلَ وَضُعَفَاءَ.
(This narration is weak because its chain contains unknown and weak narrators)
◈ Allama Muhammad Tahir al-Futni (d. 986 AH):
> قَالَ فِي “تَذْكِرَةِ الْمَوْضُوعَاتِ”: عَبْدُ الْغَفُورِ كَانَ يَضَعُ الْحَدِيثَ.
(Abdul Ghafoor used to fabricate hadiths)
Summary:
About this “Abdul Ghafoor”:
◈ Ibn Adi declared him weak,
◈ Imam Bukhari criticized him,
◈ Allama Muhammad Tahir said he fabricated hadiths,
◈ And Ibn Taymiyyah declared the chain of narration of this hadith weak and consisting of unknown narrators.
Therefore, according to the scholars of hadith, this narrator is not reliable, and the narration is classified as weak or fabricated.
Summary of the narration presented by the opponents
According to the great scholars of hadith, it is fabricated and fabricated.
Therefore, presenting such a narration is nothing but ignorance; such narrations have no status in the scholarly world.
The second narration presented by the opponents
Consider its investigative review.
قَالَ الإِمَامُ الدَّارَقُطْنِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ (المُتَوَفَّى ٣٨٥ هـ):
نَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ بْنُ صَاعِدٍ،
نَا يَحْيَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَاقِي الأَذْنِيُّ. ح.
وَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الدَّقَّاقُ،
نَا يَحْيَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَاقِي الأَذْنِيُّ،
نَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ الصَّنْعَانِيُّ،
نَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ فَلَاحٍ الصَّنْعَانِيُّ،
نَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ،
عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ الْوَصَّافِيِّ،
وَصَدَقَةُ بْنُ أَبِي عِمْرَانَ،
عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ،
عَنْ أَبِيهِ،
عَنْ جَدِّهِ،
قَالَ:
طَلَّقَ بَعْضُ آبَائِي امْرَأَتَهُ أَلْفًا،
فَانْطَلَقَ بَنُوهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ،
فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ،
إِنَّ أَبَانَا طَلَّقَ أُمَّنَا أَلْفًا،
فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ مَخْرَجٍ؟
فَقَالَ:
إِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ لَمْ يَتَّقِ اللهَ فَيَجْعَلَ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَخْرَجًا،
بَانَتْ مِنْهُ بِثَلَاثٍ عَلَى غَيْرِ السُّنَّةِ،
وَتِسْعُ مِائَةٍ وَسَبْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ إِثْمًا فِي عُنُقِهِ.
Translation
It is narrated from Ubada bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) that some members of our family divorced their wives, then their sons came to the Messenger of Allah
صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
and said: O Messenger of Allah
صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ! Our father has divorced our mother a thousand times; is there any way? The Messenger of Allah
صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
said: Your father did not fear Allah that a way would be found for him. Your mother has become separated by three non-binding divorces, and the sin of the remaining nine hundred ninety-seven divorces is upon your father’s neck.
It is presented that:
After narrating this hadith, Imam al-Daraqutni himself said:
And the central narrator of the chain عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ الْوَصَّافِيُّ is a severely weak and abandoned narrator.
All the scholars of the science unanimously agree on his weakness.
Please observe the critical review of the third narration
قَالَ الإِمَامُ الدَّارَقُطْنِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ (المتوفّى: ٣٨٥هـ):
نَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ القَطَّانُ،
نَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ،
نَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الهَيْثَمِ صَاحِبُ الطَّعَامِ،
نَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ،
نَا سَلَمَةُ بْنُ الفَضْلِ،
عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَبِي قَيْسٍ،
عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى،
عَنْ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ غَفَلَةَ،
قَالَ:
كَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ الخَثْعَمِيَّةُ عِنْدَ الحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ،
فَلَمَّا أُصِيبَ عَلِيٌّ وَبُويِعَ الحَسَنُ بِالخِلَافَةِ،
قَالَتْ: لَتَهْنَكَ الخِلَافَةُ يَا أَمِيرَ المُؤْمِنِينَ،
فَقَالَ: يُقْتَلُ عَلِيٌّ وَتُظْهِرِينَ الشَّمَاتَةَ؟!
اذْهَبِي فَأَنْتِ طَالِقٌ ثَلَاثًا.
قَالَ: فَتَلَفَّعَتْ نِسَاجَهَا وَقَعَدَتْ حَتَّى انْقَضَتْ عِدَّتُهَا،
وَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهَا بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافٍ مُتْعَةً،
وَبَقِيَّةٍ بَقِيَ لَهَا مِنْ صَدَاقِهَا،
فَقَالَتْ: مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ مِنْ حَبِيبٍ مُفَارِقٍ.
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهُ قَوْلُهَا بَكَى،
وَقَالَ: لَوْلَا أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ جَدِّي،
أَوْ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي،
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَدِّي يَقُولُ:
“أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ ثَلَاثًا مُبْهَمَةً،
أَوْ ثَلَاثًا عِنْدَ الإِقْرَاءِ،
لَمْ تَحِلَّ لَهُ حَتَّى تَنْكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ”،
لَرَاجَعْتُهَا.
Translation
Suwayd bin Ghaflah says that Aisha Khath’amiyyah was married to Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them both. When Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was martyred and Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, took the pledge of allegiance, his wife said: “Commander of the Faithful, congratulations on your caliphate.” Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “You are expressing happiness over the martyrdom of Ali? Leave from here, you are thrice divorced.” The narrator says that then his wife covered herself with clothes and sat in the house, and when her waiting period (iddah) ended, Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, sent her more than ten thousand dirhams and the remaining dowry. She said: “This wealth and property is nothing compared to the beloved calf.” When this reached Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, he became angry and said: “If I had not heard from my grandfather and my father had not told me that he heard from my grandfather that whoever gives his wife three divorces at once or three divorces in three separate purity periods, she cannot be lawful for him until she marries another husband, then I would have taken her back.”
Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan: 7/419, ad-Daraqutni in his Sunan no.: 5/56
This narration is false and fabricated. In its chain
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ الرَّازِيُّ is present who was a liar.
Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 256 AH), said:
“فِيهِ نَظَرٌ” (There is a defect in it)
Imam Jawzjani, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 259 AH), said:
“كَانَ رَدِيءَ الْمَذْهَبِ، غَيْرَ ثِقَةٍ” (He was of bad creed and unreliable)
Abu Hatim Muhammad ibn Idris al-Razi, (died: 277 AH), said:
“هَذَا كَذَّابٌ” (He is a liar, meaning a very big liar)
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 354 AH), said:
“كَانَ مِمَّنْ يَنْفَرِدُ عَنِ الثِّقَاتِ بِالأَشْيَاءِ الْمَقْلُوبَاتِ”
(He narrates things contrary to the trustworthy narrators alone)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 852 AH), said:
“حَافِظٌ ضَعِيفٌ” (He is a Hafiz and weak)
Khan Badshah bin Chandi Gul Deobandi writes:
Because he is a liar, the most lying, and a denier of hadith.
Also see: Rasul Akram ka Tareeqa Namaz by Mufti Jameel, page 301.
In Daraqutni’s other chain,
عَمْرُو بْنُ شِمْرٍ is present.
He is also a liar and false narrator.
Imam Ibn Sa’d, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 230 AH), said:
“كَانَ ضَعِيفًا جِدًّا مَتْرُوكَ الْحَدِيثِ” (He was very weak and abandoned in hadith)
Imam Jawzjani, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 259 AH), said:
“كَذَّابٌ” (He is a great liar)
Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 277 AH), said:
“مُنْكَرُ الْحَدِيثِ جِدًّا ضَعِيفُ الْحَدِيثِ لَا يُشْتَغَلُ بِهِ تَرَكُوهُ”
(He is a severe denier of hadith, his hadith will not be taken, people have abandoned him)
Imam Nasai, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 303 AH), said:
“مَتْرُوكُ الْحَدِيثِ كُوفِيٌّ” (He is a neglected hadith narrator from Kufa)
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 354 AH), said:
“كَانَ رَافِضِيًّا يَشْتِمُ أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ يَرْوِي الْمَوْضُوعَاتِ عَنِ الثِّقَاتِ فِي فَضَائِلِ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ وَغَيْرِهَا”
(He was a Rafidi, used to insult the companions of the Messenger of Allah
صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, and used to narrate false hadiths from trustworthy narrators regarding the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt, etc.)
Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 385 AH), said:
“كُوفِيٌّ، مَتْرُوكٌ” (He is a Kufan neglected hadith narrator)
Imam Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 748 AH), said:
“رَافِضِيٌّ مَتْرُوكٌ” (He is a Rafidi and neglected)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him (died: 852 AH), said:
“مَتْرُوكٌ” (He is neglected)
Besides this, in this chain
يَحْيَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْجَرِيرِيُّ
and
حُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْجَرِيرِيُّ
are unknown, and also
أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ
has much discussion.
In summary, this narration is false and fabricated.
Summary of the Discussion
That three divorces in one sitting count as three divorces ——- all these ahadith and narrations are weak and rejected.
Rather, three divorces in one sitting will be considered as one divorce, and this is proven from the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions.
