it addresses Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and Ibn Umar had only divorced her while she was menstruating. Thus, the meaning of “then let him divorce her when she is pure” is: pure from her menstruation. If it is said, “Is not consideration given to the generality of the wording rather than the particularity of the reason?”

We say: Consideration is given to the generality of the wording, in the sense that it is not restricted to Ibn Umar himself; rather, it includes whoever is in a situation like his. This is like the Prophet’s ﷺ statement that we previously discussed: “Fasting while travelling is not righteousness” (1). This is general in wording, but it applies to those in circumstances like that man, who was overexerting himself. As for someone else, fasting during his journey may well be an act of righteousness. Thus, the generality concerns the meaning, not the individual person; it is not intended to encompass every circumstance. Therefore, we do not confine the ruling to Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, but say that it applies generally to everyone whose situation resembles that of Ibn Umar; as for one whose situation differs, it does not.

Accordingly, according to the madhhab, there are four categories of women whose divorce is described as neither Sunnah-compliant nor innovated, whether with regard to its timing or its number. The correct view, however, is that it is innovated with regard to its number.

According to the madhhab, a man may divorce his pregnant wife three times, and there is no blame upon him. They likewise hold that if he divorces a woman who no longer menstruates, or a young girl, three times, it is permissible; the same applies to a woman with whom the marriage has not been consummated, because, in their view, there is no innovated divorce in terms of number for these women.

However, this view is weak, for we say: The description of Sunnah-compliant or innovated divorce is negated only with respect to timing, for the reasons and proofs mentioned; but with regard to