How Long Is the Waiting Period after a Divorce?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

If my husband divorces me (by saying it) three times on three different occasions (on one day or a few days apart each time), does this count as an irrevocable divorce? We have no intention to get back together and I was wondering what my Iddah period was? Is it three menstrual cycles or one?

Answer

Thank you for your question. If your husband divorces you on three separate occasions with the intention to divorce, then you are irrevocably divorced.

As to the postmarital waiting period in the Shafi`i school, it says in the Reliance of the Traveller, p. 568:

“n9.6 If a woman is not pregnant and has menstrual periods, her waiting period ends when three intervals between menstruations have finished. A part of an interval between menstruations is considered the same as a whole interval.

Thus, if the woman’s husband divorced her and her menses began an instant later, her waiting period would end after two more intervals between menstruations had finished and a third menstruation begun.

n9.7 If a woman is divorced during her menstrual period, she must wait until the end of three intervals between menstruations. When her fourth menstruation begins, her waiting period is over.“

Note that it doesn’t make a difference in how long her periods are.

Please see these links as well.

What Are the Etiquettes When Going Through a Divorce?

Please see this link for the waiting period in the Hanafi school: 

Basic Rulings and Length of the Waiting Period (`idda)

What Are the Rulings of the Waiting Period (‘Idda)? [Video]

May Allah make it easy for you and guide you to move onto a brighter future with tawfiq, peace, and happiness.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad 
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied Aqidah, Fiqh, Tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied Fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.