he wills, he may divorce before touching [intercourse], for that is the waiting period that Allah has commanded women to be divorced for." In a phrasing narrated by Al-Daraqutni (12), with his chain of transmission from Ibn Umar, that he divorced his wife with one pronouncement while she was menstruating, then he wanted to follow it with two other pronouncements at the two menstrual periods. This reached the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who said: "O Ibn Umar, it is not as Allah has commanded you; you have erred against the Sunnah, and the Sunnah is to wait for the period of purity, then divorce at each menstrual period." This is because if he divorces during menstruation, he prolongs the waiting period for her; for the menstrual period in which he divorced her is not counted as part of her waiting period, nor is the period of purity that follows it, according to those who consider the 'quru' (pl. of qarn) to be menstrual periods. And if he divorces during a period of purity in which he has had intercourse with her, he is not secure from the possibility that she might be pregnant, thus he would regret it, and she would be in doubt, not knowing whether she should observe her waiting period based on pregnancy or the menstrual periods.

1247 - Issue: He said: "The Sunnah divorce is that he divorces her while she is pure, without intercourse, with one [pronouncement], then leaves her until her waiting period expires."

The meaning of Sunnah divorce is the divorce that conforms to the command of Allah the Exalted and the command of His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), in the verse and the two mentioned reports, and it is the divorce during a period of purity in which he has not had intercourse with her, then he leaves her until her waiting period expires. There is no disagreement that if he divorces her during a period of purity in which he has not had intercourse with her, then leaves her until her waiting period expires, he has acted in accordance with the Sunnah and divorced for the waiting period that Allah the Exalted has commanded. This was stated by Ibn Abd al-Barr and Ibn al-Mundhir. Ibn Mas'ud said: Sunnah divorce is to divorce her without intercourse (1). Regarding the words of the Exalted, "Divorce them for their waiting period" (2), he said: "Pure, without intercourse" (1). A similar statement is reported from Ibn...