Urwa bin Zubayr reported,

In earlier times, if a man divorced his wife and then took her back before her waiting period had ended, that was his right, even if he divorced her a thousand times. So one man set out to harm his wife. He divorced her, and when her waiting period was almost over he took her back, then divorced her again, and said, "No, by Allah, I will never give you a home with me, nor will you ever be free of me."So Allah revealed, "Divorce may be given twice, then a woman must be retained in honor or released in kindness" [Baqarah 2:229]. From that day on, people began afresh with divorce, both those among them who had already divorced and those who had not.

و حدثني عن مالك

عن هشام بن عروة عن أبيه أنه قال

كان الرجل إذا طلق امرأته ثم ارتجعها قبل أن تنقضي عدتها كان ذلك له وإن طلقها ألف مرة فعمد رجل إلى امرأته فطلقها حتى إذا شارفت انقضاء عدتها راجعها ثم طلقها ثم قال لا والله لا آويك إلي ولا تحلين أبدا فأنزل الله تبارك وتعالى {الطلاق مرتان فإمساك بمعروف أو تسريح بإحسان} فاستقبل الناس الطلاق جديدا من يومئذ من كان طلق منهم أو لم يطلق