His statement, “the marriage of the one who made her lawful,” means that she claims to have married a husband who had intercourse with her through a valid marriage, involving penetration with an erection.

His statement, “and the completion of her waiting period from him,” means that she says: He divorced her after having intercourse with her in a manner that made her lawful, and her waiting period then ended.

His statement, “then he may marry her,” means that she becomes lawful for the first husband, subject to three conditions:

The first is his statement, “if he believes her.” If he does not believe her, she is not lawful for him, because if he proceeded to marry her without believing her, he would be entering into a marriage whose validity he does not know. May he believe her if she is someone whose report is not trustworthy? No. Rather, he may believe her when she is someone whose word can reasonably be accepted. But if he does not trust her, it is not permissible for him to believe her.

The second is his statement, “and it is possible,” meaning that enough time must have elapsed for it to have been possible for her waiting period from him to end, for her to marry the second husband and for him to divorce her, and for her waiting period from him to end. The minimum possible period is two months or more, because the jurists say: if she claims that her waiting period ended in less than twenty-nine days, her claim is not heard; if she claims it ended in twenty-nine days and a moment up to one month, her claim is accepted with evidence; and if it is more than that, her claim is accepted without evidence.

Thus, there must be two months or more, unless she is pregnant, for her waiting period may then end in less time. It is possible for her to give birth on the day her first husband separates from her, then marry a second husband, who subsequently divorces her, after which she observes a waiting period of thirty days from him. And if