thereafter until she marries another husband. If he then divorces her, there is no blame on the two of them if they return to one another, provided they believe they can observe Allah’s limits. These are Allah’s limits, which He makes clear to people who know.”
“When you divorce women and they approach the end of their waiting period, either retain them on reasonable terms or release them on reasonable terms. Do not retain them to harm them and thereby transgress. Whoever does so has wronged himself. Do not make a mockery of Allah’s revelations. Remember Allah’s blessing upon you, and the Book and wisdom He has sent down to you, through which He admonishes you. Fear Allah, and know that Allah has knowledge of all things.”
He, glorified be He, thus explained that women divorced after consummation must wait for three monthly courses. According to most of the Companions—including ‘Uthmān, ‘Alī, Ibn Mas‘ūd, Abū Mūsā, and others—a “monthly course” means a menstrual period. A woman therefore remains in her waiting period until her third menstrual period has ended. This is the position of Abū Hanīfah and of Ahmad, according to the better-known of the two reports from him. Ibn ‘Umar, ‘Ā’ishah, and others held that her waiting period ends when her third menstrual period begins. This is the position of Mālik and al-Shāfi‘ī.
As for a woman divorced before consummation, Allah Most High says:
“O you who believe, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them, you have no waiting period to count for them. So provide for them and release them graciously.”
Then He said:
“Their husbands have a greater right to take them back during this period”—that is, during that waiting period.
Then He said:
“Divorce is twice.”
He thus explained that the divorce He mentioned—the revocable divorce during which the husband has a greater right to take his wife back—occurs (twice, once after another. It is like telling a man, “Glorify Allah twice,” or “Glorify Allah three times,” or “a hundred times.” He must then say, “Glory be to Allah. Glory be to Allah,” until he has completed the required number. But if he wished to summarize