His saying: "O Prophet, when you divorce women, divorce them for their prescribed waiting period [idda]" addresses the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the community of Muslims. Qatada’s interpretation is: He divorces her at the beginning of her waiting period, being pure and having had no intercourse, once; then he leaves her. If he has a need for her, he calls two witnesses and bears witness to them saying, 'I have taken her back.' And if he has no need for her, he leaves her until her waiting period expires. If they both regret it, he is then a suitor among suitors.
His saying: "And count the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord" means: Do not divorce them while they are menstruating, nor while they are pure if you have had intercourse with them, except in purity after they have performed ghusl from menstruation before you have had intercourse with them. "Do not turn them out of their houses, nor should they [themselves] leave." She shall not leave her house until her waiting period has expired. This leaving refers to her not moving from her house, and if she is in need of...
قَوْله: ﴿يَا أَيهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَطَلِّقُوهُنَّ لعدتهن﴾ يُخَاطب بهَا النَّبِي ﷺ وَجَمَاعَة الْمُسلمين. تَفْسِير قَتَادَة: يطلقهَا فِي قُبُل عدَّتها طَاهِرا من غير جماع وَاحِدَة، ثمَّ يَدعهَا، فَإِن كَانَ لَهُ فِيهَا حاجةٌ دَعَا شَاهِدين فأشهدهما أَنِّي قد راجعتها، وَإِن لم تكن لَهُ فِيهَا حاجةٌ تَركهَا؛ حَتَّى تَنْقَضِي عدتهَا، فَإِن ندما كَانَ خاطبًا من الْخطاب.
قَوْله. ﴿وَأَحْصُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ﴾ أَي: فَلَا تطلقوهن فِي الدَّم، وَلَا فِي الطَّهَارَة وَقد جامعتموهن، إِلَّا فِي الطَّهَارَة بَعْدَمَا يغتسلن من الْحيض من قبل أَن تجامعوهُنَّ ﴿لَا تُخْرِجُوهُنَّ مِنْ بُيُوتِهِنَّ وَلَا يخْرجن﴾ لَا تخرج من بَيتهَا حَتَّى تَنْقَضِي عدَّتها، وَهَذَا الْخُرُوج أَلا تتحوَّل من بَيتهَا، وَإِن احْتَاجَت إِلَى
