What is the ruling if the condition is phrased as, 'Whoever informs me of my brother's arrival, she is divorced'?

Chapter on Explicit Divorce and Others

Al-Mughni

Book of Divorce

Book 39 · Issue 5 · Bab 2

Open in Qurani

Primary text

The ruling is analogous to the 'good news' scenario, meaning only the first truthful informant triggers the divorce, and subsequent informants do not, because the intent was a report that establishes certainty of arrival, which cannot be achieved by falsehood or by subsequent reports.

Supporting text

An alternative view holds that every informer, whether truthful or lying, whether first or subsequent, is divorced, because the report can be true or false, and singular or repeated. This latter view is chosen by Abu al-Khattab, while the former view is that of the Judge (Al-Qadi). The position of Al-Shafi'i follows a similar detailed distinction.