Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/334)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Chapter

The women who must observe a waiting period are six: the pregnant woman, whose waiting period—whether occasioned by death or otherwise—lasts until she delivers the entire pregnancy by whose delivery a female slave would become an umm walad …

His statement, “The women who must observe a waiting period are six,” means six categories. This classification is derived through investigation and induction: the scholars examined the Quran and the sunnah and found them to be six, just as grammarians examined Arabic speech and found that it falls only under noun, verb, and particle.

His statement, “the pregnant woman”: she is called the mother of all waiting periods, because her waiting period overrides every other waiting period: that of a woman whose husband has died, a divorced woman, or a woman whose marriage has been annulled. Whenever a separated woman is pregnant, her waiting period runs from the separation until she gives birth. This is why the author says:

“Her waiting period, whether due to death”—that is, if her husband dies—

“or otherwise”—that is, if he divorces her, the marriage is annulled, or the like—

“until she delivers the entire pregnancy.” If only part of it emerges, her waiting period has not ended. Likewise, if she is carrying twins and one is delivered, her waiting period has not ended. The evidence is the saying of Allah, Most High: “And those who are pregnant, their term is until they give birth.” [65:4] The expression “those who are pregnant” means the women who possess pregnancies, and the term “their pregnancy” is singular and in a possessive construction, thus encompassing the entirety of their pregnancy. Accordingly, she must deliver all of the pregnancy. The qualification “entire” applies to multiple fetuses, and indeed even to a single one. Thus, if it were supposed that a woman’s husband died while she was in labour, after the fetus’s head had appeared, and then the rest of it emerged, her waiting period would end; for before it had completely emerged, she had not delivered her pregnancy.

In saying, “whether due to death or otherwise,” he mentioned death first because there is a difference of opinion concerning it. Thus, if her husband dies and she delivers the pregnancy before four months

فَصْلٌ وَالْمُعْتَدَّاتُ سِتٌّ: الْحَامِلُ، وَعِدَّتُهَا مِن مَوْتٍ وَغَيْرِهِ إِلَى وَضْعِ كُلِّ الْحَمْلِ بِما تَصِيرُ بِهِ أَمَةٌ أُمَّ وَلَدٍ، ..... قوله: «والمعتدات ست» يعني ستة أصناف، وهذا الحصر مأخوذ من التتبع والاستقراء، فالعلماء تتبعوا الكتاب والسنة فوجدوا أنها ست، مثل ما تتبع النحويون كلام العرب فوجدوا أنه لا يخرج عن اسم، وفعل، وحرف. قوله: «الحامل» وتسمى أم العدات؛ لأنها تقضي على كل عدة، المتوفى عنها زوجها، والمطلقة، والمفسوخة، فمتى كانت المرأة المُفارَقةُ حاملاً فعدتها من الفراق إلى وضع الحمل، ولهذا قال المؤلف: «وعدتها من موت» بأن يموت عنها الزوج. قوله: «وغيره» بأن يطلقها، أو يفسخ النكاح، أو ما أشبه ذلك. قوله: «إلى وضع كل الحمل» فلو خرج بعضه لم تنقضِ العدة، ولو كان توأمين فخرج واحد لم تنقضِ العدة، والدليل قوله تعالى: ﴿وَأُولَاتُ الأَحْمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَنْ يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ﴾ [الطلاق: ٤] «أولات» بمعنى صاحبات، وقوله: «حملهن» مفرد مضاف فيشمل كل حملها، وعلى هذا فلا بد أن تضع جميع الحمل، فقوله: «كل الحمل» الكُلِّيَّة هنا تعود إلى التعدد، بل وإلى الواحد، فلو فرض أن المرأة مات زوجها وهي تطلق وقد ظهر رأس الحمل ثم خرج بقيته فتنقضي العدة؛ لأنه قبل أن يخرج كاملاً لم تكن وضعت حملها. وقوله: «من موت وغيره» قدم الموت؛ لأن الموت فيه خلاف، فإذا مات عنها زوجها ووضعت الحمل قبل أربعة أشهر