If the woman does not menstruate because of her young or advanced age, he may divorce her whenever he wishes, whether or not he has had intercourse with her, for her waiting period is three months. Thus, whenever he divorces her, the timing is appropriate for the commencement of her waiting period, since her waiting period is reckoned neither by menstrual cycles nor by pregnancy. Some scholars call this “divorce in accordance with the Sunnah,” while others classify it as neither “divorce in accordance with the Sunnah” nor “innovated divorce.”

If he divorces her during menstruation, or after having intercourse with her and before her pregnancy becomes evident, this divorce is prohibited and is called “innovated divorce.” It is forbidden by the Quran, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus.

If her pregnancy has become evident and he wishes to divorce her, he may do so. Is this called divorce in accordance with the Sunnah, or is it classified as neither divorce in accordance with the Sunnah nor innovated divorce? The disagreement here is merely terminological. As for the prohibited divorce pronounced during menstruation, or after intercourse and before pregnancy becomes evident, does it take effect or not, whether pronounced once or three times? There are two well-known views on this among the earlier and later scholars.

If he divorces her three times during a single period of purity, whether in one statement or several—for example, by saying, “You are divorced three times”; or, “You are divorced, and divorced, and divorced”; or, “You are divorced, then divorced, then divorced”; or by saying, “You are divorced,” then saying, “You are divorced,” then saying, “You are divorced”; or by saying, “You are divorced three times,” or “ten times,” or “a hundred times,” or