Q:
A man divorced his wife during the month of Sha`ban by saying, "You are divorced, you are for Satan. You are unlawful for me and lawful for anyone else," and fifteen days later, he took her back in marriage.
He has never divorced his wife before, and this Talaq (divorce pronounced by a husband) was not in return for compensation. Now he asks about the validity of revoking the Talaq.
A:
If the reality is as mentioned, that the man divorced his wife by saying, "You are divorced, you are for Satan. You are unlawful for me and lawful for anyone else," this is considered one pronouncement of Talaq. Since he said that he did not divorce her before and it was not in return for compensation, this is revocable divorce and the man is permitted to take his wife back in marriage as long as she is still in `Iddah (woman's prescribed waiting period after divorce or widowhood). If this is the case, and he took her back before `Iddah is over, she is lawfully his wife and there remains for them two pronouncements of Talaq. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.