Fatwa ID: 08661
Answered by: Maulana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
I am asking this question on behalf of my niece. She has had her divorce in February 2024. She has irregular periods, sometimes bleeding twice a month. She had 1 period in February and then 2 periods in March and she is saying her Iddah is over.
Is this correct or should she observe the month of April to make it 3 months?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Iddat is Three Menstrual Cycles (Hayd)
Allah SWT says in the Quran regarding the ‘Iddat (waiting period) of a divorced woman: Divorced women must wait three monthly cycles[1] As mentioned in the Quran, the waiting period for a woman after divorce is determined by her menstrual cycles, which must be three complete menstrual cycles (Hayd). Fatāwā Hindiyyah mentions: If a man divorces his wife with an irrevocable divorce, a revocable divorce, or three divorces, or if they separate without divorce, and she is a free woman who menstruates, then her waiting period is three menstrual cycles[2] For many, this approximates to three months, but not all women’s menstrual habits are the same. If your niece had one period in February and two periods in March, her ‘Iddat would have completed. However, this is in the case where she has Hayd and not Istihādah.
Istihādah During ‘Iddat
Irregular bleeding (Istihādah) does not count toward the completion of the ‘Iddat. For a woman with irregular periods and Istihādah, she would need to calculate when three full menstrual cycles of Hayd occurred. If your niece had one cycle in February, two cycles in March, and is experiencing irregular bleeding, it’s important to distinguish between her actual menstrual cycles (Hayd) and any irregular bleeding (Istihādah). The ‘Iddat will only be completed once she has had three full menstrual cycles of Hayd, not simply three occurrences of bleeding, unless they are part of her regular menstrual pattern.
The Period of Menstruation
In the Hanafi Madhab, the period of Hayd (menses) ranges from three to ten days. The minimum of menstruation is three days and three nights and its maximum is ten days and [ten] nights.[3] The minimum period of Tuhr (purity) is fifteen days. The minimum period of purity is fifteen days, and there is no limit to the maximum period, unless it is necessary to establish the usual period [of menses if she lost track of her menses pattern], such as if the bleeding continues, then her menstruation is estimated at ten days of each month and the rest of it is purity.[4]
Change in Menses Pattern: If the Gap Between Two Bleedings is Under Ten Days
If her first bleeding were extended to include the second OR the second bleeding were extended to include the third AND the total number of days in the two ranges and the days between them does not exceed ten days, then this would all be considered one menses. This may indicate a change in her regular menses habit. The purity that occurs between the two types of blood during the menstrual period is considered menstruation. If one of the two bloods is outside the menstrual period, such that she sees blood for one day, purity for nine days, and blood for one day, for example, it is not menstruation, because the last blood was not present during the menstrual period.[5]
Istihādah: If the Gap Between Two Bleedings is Under Ten Days
If the entire range of bleeding, purity, followed by bleeding exceeds ten days and ten nights, it would then fall under the ruling of Istihādah, since the maximum Hayd is 10 days. If she is familiar with her habitual menses pattern, she would be considered a Mu’taadah (a Mustahādah with a regular menstrual cycle). For a Mu’taadah, her Tuhr (purity) may fall on days of bleeding and she would follow her known habitual pattern of menses and calculate three cycles accordingly. If it does not exceed ten days, then the purity and the blood are both menstruation, whether she is a newbie [starting her first menses] or regular [has a pattern of menses]. If it exceeds ten days, then the menstruation of the Mubtadi’ah [newbie] is ten days, and the menstruation of the Mu’tādah [regular] the usual period of menstruation is her menstruation and her [usual period of] purity is purity.[6]
Summary
If her cycles are between three and ten days and are at least fifteen days apart, her ‘Iddat would be her one period in February and then two periods in March. If her menstrual cycles have not been consistent or clear (Istihādah), she should calculate her three cycles according to her habit and may need to observe the month of April as part of her waiting period.
References:
[1] وَٱلْمُطَلَّقَـٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَـٰثَةَ قُرُوٓءٍۢ
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:228)
[2] إذَا طَلَّقَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ طَلَاقًا بَائِنًا أَوْ رَجْعِيًّا أَوْ ثَلَاثًا أَوْ وَقَعَتْ الْفُرْقَةُ بَيْنَهُمَا بِغَيْرِ طَلَاقٍ وَهِيَ حُرَّةٌ مِمَّنْ تَحِيضُ فَعِدَّتُهَا ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْرَاءٍ سَوَاءٌ كَانَتْ الْحُرَّةُ مُسْلِمَةً أَوْ كِتَابِيَّةً كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 526, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[3] (وَمِنْهَا) النِّصَابُ أَقَلُّ الْحَيْضِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ وَثَلَاثُ لَيَالٍ فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ. هَكَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ وَأَكْثَرُهُ عَشَرَةُ أَيَّامٍ وَلَيَالِيهَا. كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 36, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[4] وَأَقَلُّ الطُّهْرِ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا وَلَا غَايَةَ لِأَكْثَرِهِ إلَّا إذَا اُحْتِيجَ إلَى نَصْبِ الْعَادَةِ كَمَا إذَا بَلَغَتْ مُسْتَمِرَّةَ الدَّمِ فَيُقَدَّرُ حَيْضُهَا بِعَشَرَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَبَاقِيهِ طُهْرٌ. هَكَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 37, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[5] الطُّهْرُ الْمُتَخَلِّلُ بَيْنَ الدَّمَيْنِ وَالدِّمَاءِ فِي مُدَّةِ الْحَيْضِ يَكُونُ حَيْضًا وَلَوْ خَرَجَ أَحَدُ الدَّمَيْنِ عَنْ مُدَّةِ الْحَيْضِ بِأَنْ رَأَتْ يَوْمًا دَمًا وَتِسْعَةً طُهْرًا وَيَوْمًا دَمًا مَثَلًا لَا يَكُونُ حَيْضًا؛ لِأَنَّ الدَّمَ الْأَخِيرَ لَمْ يُوجَدْ فِي مُدَّةِ الْحَيْضِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 36-37, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[6] فَإِنْ لَمْ يُجَاوِزْ الْعَشَرَةَ فَالطُّهْرُ وَالدَّمُ كِلَاهُمَا حَيْضٌ سَوَاءٌ كَانَتْ مُبْتَدَأَةً أَوْ مُعْتَادَةً وَإِنْ جَاوَزَ الْعَشَرَةَ فَفِي الْمُبْتَدَأَةِ حَيْضُهَا عَشَرَةُ أَيَّامٍ وَفِي الْمُعْتَادَةِ مَعْرُوفَتُهَا فِي الْحَيْضِ حَيْضٌ وَالطُّهْرُ طُهْرٌ. هَكَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 37, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
Only Allah (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ) knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
