life, or sexual intercourse (wat') in a non-marital union, if she is a woman who experiences menstrual cycles, then her 'idda is by menstrual cycles (8); based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted: "And divorced women shall wait by themselves for three menstrual periods." The third is one observing it by months, and she is everyone who observes 'idda by the cycle (9) if she is not a woman who experiences menstrual cycles, due to youth or menopause, based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted: "And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women - if you doubt, then their period is three months, and [also for] those who have not menstruated." For those (10) who experience the cycle, if her menstruation ceases and she does not know what caused it to cease, she observes an 'idda of nine months for pregnancy. The 'idda of a woman in menopause, and everyone whose husband has died and she is not pregnant, whether before consummation or after it, whether free or a slave, is by months; based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted: "And those who die among you and leave behind wives, they shall wait by themselves for four months and ten [days]."

Section: Every separation between spouses has an 'idda like the 'idda of divorce, whether it is by khul' (divorce initiated by the wife), li'an (imprecation), breastfeeding, annulment due to a defect, insolvency, manumission, difference in religion, or otherwise, according to the majority of scholars. It is reported from Ibn 'Abbas that the 'idda of a woman undergoing li'an is nine months. The rest of the scholars rejected this and said: Her 'idda is the 'idda of divorce; because she is separated during life, thus she is similar to a divorced woman. The majority of scholars say: The 'idda of a woman who has obtained khul' is the 'idda of a divorced woman; among them are Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, Salim ibn 'Abd Allah, 'Urwah, Sulayman ibn Yasar, 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, al-Hasan, al-Sha'bi, al-Nakha'i, al-Zuhri, Qatadah, Khilas ibn 'Amr, Abu 'Iyad (11), Malik, al-Layth, al-Awza'i, and al-Shafi'i. It is reported from 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, Aban ibn 'Uthman, Ishaq, and Ibn al-Mundhir that the 'idda of the woman who has obtained khul' is one menstrual cycle. Ibn al-Qasim reported this from Ahmad, because Ibn 'Abbas reported that the wife of Thabit ibn Qays obtained khul' from him, and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) designated her 'idda as one menstrual cycle. Narrated by al-Nasa'i (12). From Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwidh there is the like of that, and that