# What is the iddah after divorce and why does the Quran require it?

*Surah al-Talaq 65:1: divorce for the iddah, what the waiting period is for, and the right to stay in the home*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/3/
- Date: 2019-07-25 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (6:26–10:20)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=386s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/

**Topics:** Divorce; Tafsir and verse study; Contested verses

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The iddah is a waiting period of one to three cycles after a divorce which establishes whether the woman is pregnant and prevents suspicion and conflict, and during it she keeps the right to stay in the home. Mufti Abu Layth reads this as the opening of the passage the objector quotes from.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that the iddah in Surah al-Talaq serves to establish pregnancy and to prevent suspicion and conflict after a divorce, and that the divorced woman is entitled to remain in the home during it.

**Evidence, his words at 7:42:** “there were other many other wisdoms to it as well it also prevented a lot of suspicion it prevented a lot of social unrest” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=462s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth begins reading Surah al-Talaq from its first verse, which addresses the Prophet and by extension everyone: when you divorce women, divorce them for their iddah. He explains the iddah as a post-marital period of one to three menstrual cycles, roughly one to three months, which served to establish whether the woman was pregnant and carried other wisdoms: it prevented suspicion and social unrest, since an immediate remarriage after a divorce could in a warrior society lead to accusations and fighting. He continues with the command to count the iddah precisely, and with the words that the divorced woman is not to be expelled from the home: the relationship may be over, but she is entitled to lodging and need not leave at once, at least while her iddah lasts; the verse goes on to the case of pregnancy. He says this all comes before the verse the objector quotes.

## Sources and names cited

- Quran 65:1 (when you divorce women, divorce them for their iddah; do not expel them from their homes): https://quran.com/65/1
- iddah (waiting period after divorce)
- talaq (divorce)
- juz

## Transcript (machine tier, 6:26–10:20)

[5:47] just saying the vibe I get generally and I don't I haven't don't follow him that closely but the vibe I get whenever I do see some posts from Abdullah Samir are usually that he's trying to be feared this is what I I feel usually now so ok so he's put this post so the reason why am I saying this is I'm against any like I want to respond to this I want to show that that's not true the Quran does not permit pedophilia and I will show that in a moment but I want to also highlight this is not about like what I don't want to see is people attacking him as a

[6:25] person attack the argument but not the person okay so that's really important and that is from the adapt that is from the the character of the Prophet as well you know this if you if we claim to be Muslim then we ought to be showing a good example you know we if we we are saying that the Messenger of Allah was rahmatan lil odd I mean he was a paragon of mercy for the whole world then we ought to be demonstrating that the onus is on us not on non-muslims to prove that we ought to

[7:05] be championing that kind of behavior so okay now right so this is the verse of the Quran so we've got surah Tauba lakh which is in the 28th juice now it begins bismillah r-rahman r-rahim yeah you know be you is that the lock to Manisa okay so it's speaking it's addressing the Prophet but by extension people that when you divorce women for political who Nellie I did in that divorced them for

[7:42] the aid that in line with an it is a kind of it's a post marital cycle so it's like a so it's usually it can be one menstrual cycle to three menstrual cycles it's a certain period of time ranging from one month to three months in which usually it was to see if that if the woman was still pregnant if she was then this and certain rites and these kind of things especially as you can imagine it was like a system set up for that there were other many other wisdoms to it as well it also prevented

[8:19] a lot of suspicion it prevented a lot of social unrest because sometimes when relationships broke up people would feel that oh you know was so in so trying to have an affair with with my wife or is she like this and and sometimes when people divorce when they if they immediately remarried it may have led to some kind of fighting and things like this in the past I mean even now but especially in in that kind of a society a warrior society so there was an ADA that was placed there that had many social benefits in

[8:58] addition to it allowed to verify whether there was a pregnancy or not and stuff like this so okay so Allah mentions that if that give that the lock for the ADA right and then this verse goes on now right we move on to it's speaking about their ID they're so sorry just to explain Allah says well I so like that and take the idea into consideration enumerate as in keep measure it like be precise with as precise as possible with the idea now

[9:36] and then Allah mentions laterally juhu numbing beauty now Alea hardener that but let they are entitled to lodging they entitled to live in that house as long as they have their aid there so imagine a relationship was over now so the let's say it's over now so the woman who's gonna move on but she doesn't have to get up and leave straight away she's entitled to stay just saw her stuff out at least during the ADA now and if and it will go on and speak about well what if she was pregnant but so it's trying to say that you let or read your numbing beauty don't don't throw them out of the

[10:15] homes okay let them stay there and then it mentions if there's certain other issues fight their beloved Nigella whenever I'm sick or but when they reach the time that the ADA has finished for MC corner either reconcile be ma roof with kindness over if you wanna be my roof Oh leave them separate with kindness this is the verse of the Quran right well as she do the way idly minkum but get witnesses as well that you have decided to separate or you've decided to reconcile let people be witnesses to

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment T-X4Lyns2vE/s/3. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/3/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.