Is it permissible for the husband to take his wife back after the first divorce without her consent or knowledge, when she does not wish to return to him?

If a man divorces his wife with a first or second revocable divorce, he has the right to take her back into his custody as long as she is still within her waiting period ('iddah). The wife's consent or knowledge is not a condition for the validity of the revocation, due to Allah's saying: "{And their husbands have more right to take them back in that [period] if they want reconciliation}" and "{then retain them with fairness}." The scholars have unanimously agreed upon this.

If the wife does not wish to remain, she has the right to seek khul' (divorce at her initiative).