What is the ruling if a man with four wives stipulates: 'Whenever one of you gives birth, the rest of you are divorced'?
Chapter on Explicit Divorce and Others
Al-Mughni
Book of Divorce
Primary text
Upon the birth of a child by one wife, a single pronouncement of divorce occurs for the remaining wives. The mother who gave birth separates upon delivery, except for the first wife. The difference between this stipulation and the previous one is that in this case, divorce occurs for the remaining wives upon their co-wife's delivery, whereas in the prior case, divorce did not occur for those who had already completed their Iddah and separated.
Supporting text
If the stipulation is: 'Whenever one of you gives birth, you [all] are divorced,' the ruling is similar, except that one pronouncement of divorce occurs upon the first wife's delivery. If the second wife is pregnant with twins and delivers the first child, a single divorce occurs for each of her co-wives. In this scenario, a single divorce also occurs in the preceding two issues. When the third child is delivered, or if she was pregnant with twins, the same occurs. Consequently, the fourth wife is divorced three times, and each of the mothers who have already given birth are divorced twice in the first two issues, and three times in the third issue. When each mother completes the full term of her pregnancy, her waiting period is concluded thereby.