and her in-laws. Others say it refers specifically to her committing unlawful sexual intercourse, in which case she is taken out to have the prescribed punishment carried out. She is not required to observe mourning during this waiting period.
Section
The waiting period following an irrevocable divorce is the same length as that following a revocable divorce. There are three opinions concerning her entitlement to maintenance and accommodation during it. The first is that she is entitled to accommodation but not maintenance; this is the position of Mālik and all his companions. The second is that she is entitled to both maintenance and accommodation. The third is that she is entitled to neither. The correct position is that of Mālik and his companions: she is entitled to accommodation but not maintenance.
Their evidence [from the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic] that she is not entitled to maintenance is the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
“And if they are pregnant, spend on them until they give birth.” [al-Talāq: 6]
This indicates that a woman who is not pregnant is not entitled to maintenance. This is also explicit in “the statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the hadith of Fātimah bint Qays: ‘He owes you no maintenance.’ Her husband had divorced her three times and sent her barley, which displeased her, so she complained about this to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”
Their evidence that she must be provided with accommodation is the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
“Lodge them where you dwell, according to your means.” [al-Talāq: 6]
This refers to women whose divorce from their husbands is irrevocable, as indicated by the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
“And if they are pregnant, spend on them until they give birth.” [al-Talāq: 6]
A woman whose divorce is not irrevocable is entitled to maintenance whether or not she is pregnant, since, by agreement, she has not yet left the marriage bond.
If it is asked: How can this refer to women whose divorce from their husbands is irrevocable when they have not previously been mentioned in the surah? Only women whose divorce is not irrevocable have been mentioned, as indicated by His words:
“You do not know; perhaps Allah will bring about something new thereafter.” [al-Talāq: 1]
There are two answers to this. The first is that, although they have not previously been mentioned in this surah, they have already been mentioned in Sūrat al-Baqarah, in His words, Mighty and Majestic:
“She is not lawful for him thereafter until she marries another husband.” [al-Baqarah: 230],