"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..."