In a revocable divorce, the husband has the right to take his wife back during the `Iddah period without requiring a new marriage contract, dowry, or the wife’s consent, provided it is not the third divorce. However, this must occur before the `Iddah ends. An irrevocable divorce, particularly the third, permanently ends the marriage. If the woman marries another man in a legitimate and consummated marriage, she may remarry her first husband if the second husband either dies or divorces her.

The Hadith which reads: “The most hated thing before Allah is divorce” is not authentic, but its meaning is sound. Allah hates divorce, but He does not forbid it so as to make things easier for Muslims. If there is a legitimate Shar`i or regular reason for divorce, then it is not disliked depending on the likely outcome of keeping the wife.