which follows the menstrual cycle before he has had intercourse with her, it is a valid (Sunnah) divorce. The companions of Malik said: He should not divorce her until she has reached a state of purity, then menstruated, and then reached purity again, in accordance with what was stated in the hadith. As for us, the Almighty says: {Divorce them for their waiting period}. This man is divorcing her for the waiting period, so he falls under the command. Yunus ibn Jubayr, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Ibn Sirin, Zayd ibn Aslam, and Abu al-Zubayr have reported from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded him to take her back until she reached a state of purity, then if he wished, he could divorce her, and if he wished, he could keep her. They did not mention that addition, and it is a Sahih (authentic) hadith, agreed upon (by Bukhari and Muslim). Furthermore, because it is a state of purity in which he did not have intercourse with her, it resembles the second state of purity (20), and their hadith is construed as being for recommendation.
1248 - Issue: He said: (And if he divorces her three times in a state of purity in which he has not had intercourse with her, it is also in accordance with the Sunnah, though he would be a leaver of the preferred option).
There is a difference of opinion reported from Ahmad regarding combining the three divorces. It is reported from him that it is not prohibited, a view chosen by al-Khiraqi. This is the school of al-Shafi'i, Abu Thawr, and Dawud. This was also reported from al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, and al-Sha'bi, because when 'Uwaymir al-'Ajlani performed li'an (imprecation) against his wife, he said: "If I keep her, I have lied against her, O Messenger of Allah," so he divorced her three times before the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded him to do so. This is agreed upon (1), and it was not reported that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) disapproved of it. From 'A'ishah, it is reported that the wife of Rifa'ah came to the Messenger of
(20) Omitted from: B, M. (1) Reported by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of One Who Permits Divorcing Three Times for the saying of Allah: {Divorce is twice}, from the Book of Divorce; and in: The Chapter of One Who Manifests Immorality..., from the Book of Hudud; and in: The Chapter of What is Disliked of Excessiveness and Dispute in Knowledge..., from the Book of Holding Fast (al-I'tisam). Sahih al-Bukhari 7/54, 55, 8/217, 9/121. And by Muslim, in: The Book of Li'an. Sahih Muslim 2/1129-1132. It was also reported by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on Li'an, from the Book of Divorce. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/520. And by al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter of Concession therein, and The Chapter of the Beginning of Li'an, from the Book of Divorce. al-Mujtaba 6/117, 140. And by al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on Li'an, from the Book of Marriage. Sunan al-Darimi 2/150. And by Imam Malik, in: The Chapter on What was Said Regarding Li'an, from the Book of Divorce. al-Muwatta 2/566, 567. And by Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 5/331, 337.
