"And divorced women shall wait [as regards their marriage] for three menstrual periods." Al-quru' (menstrual periods) means: menses, according to the scholars of Iraq. According to the scholars of Medina, it means: periods of purity.
Qatada said: The waiting period for a divorced woman was set in this verse as three menstrual periods. Then, the divorced woman whom her husband has not yet consummated marriage with was exempted from this by abrogation, as He said in Surah al-Ahzab: "O you who have believed..."
﴿وَالْمُطَلَّقَاتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنْفُسِهِنَّ ثَلاثَةَ قُرُوءٍ﴾ والأقراء: الْحيض؛ فِي قَول أهل الْعرَاق، وَفِي قَول أهل الْمَدِينَة: الْأَطْهَار.
قَالَ قَتَادَة: جعل عدَّة الْمُطلقَة فِي هَذِه الْآيَة ثَلَاث حيض، ثمَّ نسخ مِنْهَا الْمُطلقَة الَّتِي لم يدْخل بِهَا زَوجهَا، فَقَالَ فِي سُورَة الْأَحْزَاب: (يَا أَيهَا الَّذِينَ
