Hazrat Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him) and Hazrat Ata (may Allah have mercy on him) say that if a man gives his wife three divorces before consummation, then only one divorce will take effect.

Hazrat Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that once Abu Sahba came to Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them). He said, "Give me a little of your time: Three divorces during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and then in the early period of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), were counted as only one. Then when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw that people had made giving divorce a routine matter, he declared three divorces to be three."

Hazrat Tawus, Hazrat Ata, and Hazrat Jabir bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with them) say that if a man gives his wife three divorces before consummation, they will be counted as only one.