marriage, and maintaining it here is obligatory, as evidenced by the prohibition of divorce. Furthermore, reconciliation is the retention of the wife, as evidenced by the Almighty's saying: {Keep them in honor} (17). Therefore, it is obligatory, just as keeping her before the divorce was. Malik and Dawud said: He is compelled to take her back. The companions of Malik said: He is compelled to take her back as long as she is within the waiting period (idda). Except for Ash-hab, who said: As long as she has not reached a state of purity, then menstruated, then reached purity again; for he is not obligated to keep her in that state, so he is not obligated to take her back during it. As for us, it is a divorce that is not lifted by reconciliation, so reconciliation is not obligatory for him in it, just like a divorce in a state of purity during which he had intercourse with her; for they have reached a consensus that reconciliation is not obligatory in such a case. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr narrated this from all scholars, and the meaning they mentioned is invalidated by this instance. As for the command for reconciliation, it is construed as being for recommendation, for the reason we have mentioned.

Section: If he takes her back, it is obligatory for him to keep her until she reaches a state of purity. It is recommended to keep her until she menstruates another time and then reaches purity again, in accordance with what the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded in the hadith of Ibn (18) Umar which we have narrated. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said: There are several aspects to this according to the people of knowledge; among them is that the validity of reconciliation can hardly be known except through intercourse, because it is the objective (19) of marriage, and intercourse does not occur except in a state of purity. When he has intercourse with her, it becomes forbidden to divorce her during that state until she menstruates and then reaches purity again; we have considered the likelihood of intercourse and its valid location, not its literal occurrence. Among the reasons is that divorce was disliked during menstruation so as not to prolong the waiting period; if he were to divorce her immediately following reconciliation without intercourse, she would be in the position of a woman divorced before consummation, and she would have to restart her waiting period. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) wanted to terminate the ruling of the divorce through intercourse and considered the state of purity, which is the place for intercourse; if he has intercourse, it becomes forbidden to divorce her until she menstruates and then reaches purity again. It has come in a hadith from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Command him to take her back, and when she reaches purity, he may have intercourse with her; then when she reaches another state of purity, if he wishes, he may divorce her, and if he wishes, he may keep her." Narrated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr. Among the reasons also is that he was punished for performing it at a forbidden time by preventing him from it at a time when it is permissible for him. He mentioned other reasons besides these. If he divorces her during the state of purity