Issue: A man divorced his wife while she was breastfeeding, and the breastfeeding woman does not experience menstruation; how does she observe the waiting period?
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The Shaykh : If he divorced his wife while she was breastfeeding, and the custom is that a breastfeeding woman does not experience menstruation, so he divorced her while she was breastfeeding, and the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth months passed until a full year, and menstruation did not come, does she remain in the waiting period?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, she remains in the waiting period. Why? Because her menstruation has ceased but its return is expected. Allah the Exalted says:[At-Talaq 65:4]. This woman has not lost hope. It is true that she does not menstruate, but she has not lost hope. Therefore, her menstruation is expected to return, so she remains until menstruation returns. How does she observe the waiting period? With three menstrual cycles. Is that clear, everyone?
Now, some of the common people think that if a woman is divorced while she does not menstruate, even if the return of menstruation is expected, she observes the waiting period for three months. They think that a woman like this observes the waiting period for three months, and this is an error.
All of this stems from people not learning the rulings of the Shari'ah and some people neglecting to teach the common people. Therefore, it is obligatory for you, O students, to strive to spread Islamic legal knowledge among the common people so that people know how to conduct themselves and how to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, she remains in the waiting period. Why? Because her menstruation has ceased but its return is expected. Allah the Exalted says:
And those who no longer expect menstruation
واللائي يئسن من المحيضNow, some of the common people think that if a woman is divorced while she does not menstruate, even if the return of menstruation is expected, she observes the waiting period for three months. They think that a woman like this observes the waiting period for three months, and this is an error.
All of this stems from people not learning the rulings of the Shari'ah and some people neglecting to teach the common people. Therefore, it is obligatory for you, O students, to strive to spread Islamic legal knowledge among the common people so that people know how to conduct themselves and how to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic).