مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 5321

It was narrated from Naaff that Ibn 'Umar divorced his wife when she was menstruating. 'Umar asked the Prophet (PBUH) (about that) and he instructed him to take her back, then wait until she had gone through another menstrual cycle, then to wait until she became pure, then to divorce her before being intimate with her. 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 she was menstruating, he would say: If you have divorced her once or twice, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) told him (meaning himself) to take her back, then wait until she menstruated again, then wait until she became pure, then divorce her if he does not want to keep her. If you have divorced her three times, then you have disobeyed AJIah (PBUH) with regard to the manner in which He conimanded you to divorce your wife, and the divorce is irrevocable.

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