مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 4500

It was narrated from Naafi’ That the Umar divorced his wife once (one talaaq) when she was menstruating. 'Umar asked the prophet (PBUH) (about that) and he instructed htm to take her back hen wait until she had gone rough another menstrual cycle then to wait until she became pure, then to divorce her before being intimate with her. He said: “That is the iddah (prescribed period) that Allah (PBUH) has enjoined for the divorce of women." If lbn 'Umar was asked about a man who divorced his wife when die was menstruating, he would say: As for me, I divorced her once or twice, then the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) instructed him to take her back then wait until she had gore through another menstrual cycle then to wait until she became pure, then to divorce her before having been intimate with her. But as for you, you have divorced her three times, so you have disobeyed Allah in what He enjoined upon you with regard to divorcing your wife; she is irrevocably divorced from you.

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020