What is talaq, how is it pronounced, and what is the difference between raj'i (revocable) and ba'in (irrevocable) divorce?

Talaq is the husband's unilateral pronouncement of divorce, traditionally spoken as a direct statement such as "I divorce you," though intention and clarity matter more than any fixed formula. The Quran structures divorce as a staged process: a talaq is pronounced, and the couple then enters an iddah (waiting period) during which reconciliation remains possible without a new contract — this first or second pronouncement is called raj'i, or revocable, meaning the husband may take his wife back by word or action alone before the iddah ends. If the iddah expires without reconciliation, the divorce becomes ba'in sughra, a minor irrevocable divorce, after which the couple may only reunite through an entirely new marriage contract and fresh mahr, though they remain permitted to remarry each other. After a third and final pronouncement, however, the separation becomes ba'in kubra, a major irrevocable divorce, after which the couple cannot remarry unless the woman first validly marries another man and that marriage independently ends. This graduated structure is meant to slow down divorce, giving space for reflection and reconciliation before the bond is permanently severed.

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