Does a divorce take effect when the husband says to his wife, "You are divorced, you are divorced, you are divorced," three times, while they remain in the same house and avoid speaking to each other?

The fatwa (religious edict) states that combining three divorce pronouncements in a single session results in a triple divorce, and the wife becomes irrevocably separated from her husband (baynunah kubra). She does not become lawful for him again until she marries another husband. It is not permissible for them to cohabitate in the same house unless each lives in a separate, self-contained section. Some scholars are of the opinion that combining three divorce pronouncements in a single session results in only one divorce. In this case, the husband can reconcile with his wife as long as she is within her waiting period ('iddah), or by a new marriage contract after its expiry. It is advisable to refer the matter to the Sharia court because a judge's ruling resolves disagreements. Caution must be exercised regarding marital problems, and divorce should be avoided as a means of resolving them.