Chapter

If he divorces her once, during a period of purity in which he has not had intercourse with her, and leaves her until her waiting period expires, then it is in accordance with the Sunnah, …

In this chapter, the author discusses important rulings: the innovated form of divorce and the Sunnah-compliant form of divorce. He says:

“If he divorces her”: the object pronoun refers to the wife, while the subject pronoun refers to the husband.

His statement, “once,” means with a single pronouncement—for example, if he says, “You are divorced once,” or says, “You are divorced,” and says nothing further, it counts as one pronouncement. For when an unrestricted expression is not qualified by a number, it is fulfilled by a single instance. Thus, if you were to say, for example, “Honor Zayd,” and then honored him once, you would have complied; there would be no need to repeat it. Thus, the words “once” constitute a condition.

His statement, “during a period of purity,” is a second condition.

His statement, “in which he has not had intercourse with her,” is a third condition.

His statement, “and leaves her until her waiting period expires,” is the fourth condition; that is, he does not follow it with another divorce.

His statement, “then it is in accordance with the Sunnah,” means that this divorce is a Sunnah-compliant divorce: one that combines four conditions—namely, that it be a single pronouncement, during a period of purity, in which he has not had intercourse with her, and that he does not follow it with another pronouncement of divorce.

Excluded by his statement, “once,” is the case in which he divorces her twice—for example, if he says, “You are divorced by two pronouncements,” “You are divorced twice,” “You are divorced two times,” or, “You are divorced; you are divorced.” This is not in accordance with the Sunnah, because he did not divorce her once; rather, he divorced her twice.