Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
If a husband issued one or two revocable divorces (ṭalāq rajʿī), and the woman's ʿiddah (waiting period) has ended — how can the couple reunite and resume their married life?
If the ʿiddah period has ended after one or two revocable divorces, the husband can only take her back through a new nikāḥ (marriage contract).
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾
“When you divorce women and they have reached the end of their waiting period, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands if they mutually agree in a just manner.”
[Surah al-Baqarah: 232]
➊ Sayyidunā Maʿqil ibn Yasār رضي الله عنه narrated:
“His sister was divorced by her husband, and after her ʿiddah ended, the husband proposed again. Maʿqil refused to give her in marriage. Upon this, the verse was revealed: ﴿فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ﴾ — ‘Do not prevent them from marrying their former husbands.’”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4529]
➋ In another narration, Maʿqil ibn Yasār رضي الله عنه further explained:
“My cousin came to me proposing marriage to my sister. I accepted and married her to him. He then gave her a revocable divorce and allowed her ʿiddah to finish. Later, he returned proposing again, but I refused and swore by Allah that I would never give her to him. Then the verse was revealed:
﴿وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾
‘When you divorce women and their ʿiddah ends, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands if they mutually agree in a just manner.’
After that, I atoned for my oath and married her to him again.”
[Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2087 – Chain is ḥasan]
❀ Imām Ibn Qudāmah رحمه الله (d. 620 AH) wrote:
“If a man divorces his wife less than three times, and before marrying another man, he either takes her back (during ʿiddah) or remarries her (after ʿiddah ends), then she returns to him with whatever number of divorces remain. There is no scholarly disagreement on this.”
[al-Mughnī: 8/441]
✔ After the ʿiddah of one or two revocable divorces ends, reconciliation is no longer possible through revocation alone.
✔ A new nikāḥ contract is required, with the woman's consent, her guardian’s approval, and a new mahr (bridal gift).
✔ This ruling is established by the Qur’an, authentic Sunnah, and consensus of scholars.
❖ Question:
If a husband issued one or two revocable divorces (ṭalāq rajʿī), and the woman's ʿiddah (waiting period) has ended — how can the couple reunite and resume their married life?
✿ Answer:
If the ʿiddah period has ended after one or two revocable divorces, the husband can only take her back through a new nikāḥ (marriage contract).
◈ Qur’anic Evidence
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾
“When you divorce women and they have reached the end of their waiting period, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands if they mutually agree in a just manner.”
[Surah al-Baqarah: 232]◈ Hadith Evidence
➊ Sayyidunā Maʿqil ibn Yasār رضي الله عنه narrated:
“His sister was divorced by her husband, and after her ʿiddah ended, the husband proposed again. Maʿqil refused to give her in marriage. Upon this, the verse was revealed: ﴿فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ﴾ — ‘Do not prevent them from marrying their former husbands.’”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4529]➋ In another narration, Maʿqil ibn Yasār رضي الله عنه further explained:
“My cousin came to me proposing marriage to my sister. I accepted and married her to him. He then gave her a revocable divorce and allowed her ʿiddah to finish. Later, he returned proposing again, but I refused and swore by Allah that I would never give her to him. Then the verse was revealed:
﴿وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾
‘When you divorce women and their ʿiddah ends, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands if they mutually agree in a just manner.’
After that, I atoned for my oath and married her to him again.”
[Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2087 – Chain is ḥasan]◈ Scholarly Consensus
❀ Imām Ibn Qudāmah رحمه الله (d. 620 AH) wrote:
“If a man divorces his wife less than three times, and before marrying another man, he either takes her back (during ʿiddah) or remarries her (after ʿiddah ends), then she returns to him with whatever number of divorces remain. There is no scholarly disagreement on this.”
[al-Mughnī: 8/441]
Conclusion
✔ After the ʿiddah of one or two revocable divorces ends, reconciliation is no longer possible through revocation alone.
✔ A new nikāḥ contract is required, with the woman's consent, her guardian’s approval, and a new mahr (bridal gift).
✔ This ruling is established by the Qur’an, authentic Sunnah, and consensus of scholars.
