Chapter: The Waiting Period (Iddah) of a Woman Suffering from Chronic Menstrual Bleeding (Mustahadah)

I asked Ahmad, and I said: If a woman, the first time she menstruates, the blood continues to flow, and her husband divorces her, how does she observe her waiting period (iddah)? He said: "She observes an iddah of one year," following the opinion of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib that the woman suffering from chronic bleeding observes an iddah of one year. I said: Is her iddah not based on her menstruation (as her state is)? He said: "No."

716 - And I heard Ishaq say: "'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, from Ma'mar, from al-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, who said: 'If she menstruates once in the months, then her iddah is one year.'" And Qatadah said: 'Ikrimah said: "It is a doubtful matter; her iddah is three months."

717 - Mahmud narrated to us, saying: 'Amr narrated to us, from al-Awza'i, who said: I asked al-Zuhri about a man who divorced his wife while she was menstruating; she remains for three months, then she has one menstrual cycle, then her menstruation is delayed, then she remains for six or eight months, then she has another menstrual cycle; it (the cycle) comes early sometimes and is delayed other times; how does she observe her iddah? He said: "If her menstruation deviates from her established cycles (aqra'), then her iddah is one year."

718 - al-'Abbas ibn al-Walid narrated to us, Hisham ibn Isma'il narrated to us, saying: Haql ibn Ziyad narrated to us, from al-Awza'i, that he was asked about a woman suffering from chronic bleeding who is divorced: how does she observe her iddah? He said: "If her menstrual cycle is known when it arrives, she observes her iddah by menstrual cycles. If her menstrual cycle is not known, she observes an iddah of three months."