Is it permissible for a man to take back his wife after two divorces, with the intention of effecting the third divorce to divorce her with a major irrevocable divorce (talāq bainūnah kubrā), and what are the consequences of that?

A man can take his wife back during her iddah (waiting period) if he divorced her less than three times, according to the agreement of the scholars. If his intention behind taking her back is to harm her, the taking back is valid, but he incurs sin, based on the Almighty's saying: "and do not hold them back, intending to harm them, so that you transgress." Taking a wife back only to divorce her a third time is contrary to Islamic law, because the purpose of taking her back is to keep the woman, not to separate from her.