Explanation of Divorce with Waiting Period and what Makes Divorce Binding

طَلَاقُ السُّنَّةِ يُطَلِّقُهَا تَطْلِيقَةً يَعْنِي عَلَى طُهْرٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ جِمَاعٍ بِشَهَادَةِ شَاهِدَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَدَعُهَا حَتَّى تَمْضِيَ أَقْرَاؤُهَا فَإِذَا مَضَتْ أَقْرَاؤُهَا فَقَدْ بَانَتْ مِنْهُ وَ هُوَ خَاطِبٌ مِنَ الْخُطَّابِ إِنْ شَاءَتْ نَكَحَتْهُ وَ إِنْ شَاءَتْ فَلَا وَ إِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُرَاجِعَهَا[1] أَشْهَدَ عَلَى رَجْعَتِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَمْضِيَ أَقْرَاؤُهَا فَتَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ عَلَى التَّطْلِيقَةِ

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Divorce according to Sunnah is the divorce which one pronounces once in a menses-free period during which sexual intercourse has not taken place. It is pronounced in the presence of two witnesses and leaves her until her menses-free period is over. When this period is over she becomes str

كُلُّ طَلَاقٍ لَا يَكُونُ عَلَى السُّنَّةِ أَوْ طَلَاقٍ عَلَى الْعِدَّةِ فَلَيْسَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ قَالَ زُرَارَةُ فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَسِّرْ لِي طَلَاقَ السُّنَّةِ وَ طَلَاقَ الْعِدَّةِ فَقَالَ أَمَّا طَلَاقُ السُّنَّةِ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الرَّجُلُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَلْيَنْتَظِرْ بِهَا حَتَّى تَطْمَثَ وَ تَطْهُرَ فَإِذَا خَرَجَتْ مِنْ طَمْثِهَا طَلَّقَهَا تَطْلِيقَةً مِنْ غَيْرِ جِمَاعٍ وَ يُشْهِدُ شَاهِدَي

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Divorce which is not according to Sunnah or not with waiting period does not have any valid effect.’ Zurarah has said that I then asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘Please explain to me divorce according to Sunnah and divorce with waiting period.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘For divorce according to Sunn

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ أُحِبُّ لِلرَّجُلِ‌ الْفَقِيهِ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا طَلَاقَ السُّنَّةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ هُوَ الَّذِي قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ أَمْراً[1] يَعْنِي بَعْدَ الطَّلَاقِ وَ انْقِضَاءِ الْعِدَّةِ التَّزْوِيجَ لَهُمَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَزَوَّجَ زَوْجاً غَيْرَهُ قَالَ وَ مَا أَعْدَلَهُ وَ أَوْسَعَهُ لَهُمَا ج

“I once heard Abu Ja’far (a.s.) say, ’I love for a knowledgeable man, if he intends to divorce his wife, to do so in accordance with the Sunnah.’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) then said, ’This is that about which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said, ’...perhaps Allah thereafter will cause some

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ طَلَاقِ السُّنَّةِ قَالَ طَلَاقُ السُّنَّةِ إِذَا أَرَادَ الرَّجُلُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ يَدَعُهَا إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ دَخَلَ بِهَا حَتَّى تَحِيضَ ثُمَّ تَطْهُرَ فَإِذَا طَهُرَتْ طَلَّقَهَا وَاحِدَةً بِشَهَادَةِ شَاهِدَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَتْرُكُهَا حَتَّى تَعْتَدَّ ثَلَاثَةَ قُرُوءٍ فَإِذَا مَضَتْ ثَلَاثَةُ قُرُوءٍ فَقَدْ بَانَتْ مِنْهُ بِوَاحِدَةٍ وَ كَانَ زَوْجُهَا خَاطِباً مِنَ الْخُطَّابِ إِنْ شَاءَتْ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the divorce according to Sunnah. He (the Imam) said, ’For divorce according to Sunnah when a man wants to divorce his wife he must leave her, if he has gone to bed with her, until she experiences Hayd (menses), then becomes clean. When she becomes clean he can divorce her once

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ طَلَاقِ السُّنَّةِ كَيْفَ يُطَلِّقُ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ فَقَالَ يُطَلِّقُهَا فِي طُهْرٍ قَبْلَ عِدَّتِهَا[1] مِنْ غَيْرِ جِمَاعٍ بِشُهُودٍ فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا وَاحِدَةً ثُمَّ تَرَكَهَا حَتَّى يَخْلُوَ أَجَلُهَا فَقَدْ بَانَتْ مِنْهُ وَ هُوَ خَاطِبٌ مِنَ الْخُطَّابِ وَ إِنْ رَاجَعَهَا فَهِيَ عِنْدَهُ عَلَى تَطْلِيقَةٍ مَاضِيَةٍ وَ بَقِيَ تَطْلِيقَتَانِ فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا الثَّانِيَةَ وَ تَرَكَهَا حَتَّى

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the divorce according to Sunnah and how a man can divorce his wife. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must divorce her in a Hayd (menses)-free period at a time when she can commence her waiting period, in the presence of witnesses without going to bed with her. If he divorces her once t

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا غَشِيَهَا بِشَهَادَةِ عَدْلَيْنِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ هَذَا بِطَلَاقٍ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ- كَيْفَ طَلَاقُ السُّنَّةِ فَقَالَ يُطَلِّقُهَا إِذَا طَهُرَتْ مِنْ حَيْضِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَغْشَاهَا بِشَاهِدَيْنِ عَدْلَيْنِ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي كِتَابِهِ‌[1] فَإِنْ خَالَفَ ذَلِكَ رُدَّ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فَ

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who divorces his wife in the presence of two just witnesses after going to bed with her. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not a divorce,’ I then asked saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, how is divorce according to Sunnah ?’ He (the I

إِنَّ الطَّلَاقَ الَّذِي أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَ الَّذِي سَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَنْ يُخَلِّيَ الرَّجُلُ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ فَإِذَا حَاضَتْ وَ طَهُرَتْ مِنْ مَحِيضِهَا أَشْهَدَ رَجُلَيْنِ عَدْلَيْنِ عَلَى تَطْلِيقَةٍ وَ هِيَ طَاهِرٌ مِنْ غَيْرِ جِمَاعٍ وَ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِرَجْعَتِهَا مَا لَمْ تَنْقَضِ ثَلَاثَةُ قُرُوءٍ وَ كُلُّ طَلَاقٍ مَا خَلَا هَذَا فَبَاطِلٌ لَيْسَ بِطَلَاقٍ.

‘The divorce which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, in His book has commanded to be formed and that which the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has established is that the man must remain away from the woman. When she experiences Hayd

طَلَاقُ السُّنَّةِ إِذَا طَهُرَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ فَلْيُطَلِّقْهَا وَاحِدَةً مَكَانَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ جِمَاعٍ يُشْهِدُ عَلَى طَلَاقِهَا فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُرَاجِعَهَا أَشْهَدَ عَلَى الْمُرَاجَعَةِ.

“Divorce according to Sunnah takes place when the woman is clean of Hayd (menses) and is divorced in her place in the presence of witnesses without sexual intercourse. If he decides to go back to her he must arrange for witness to his going back (reversing his pronouncement of divorce).’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِذَا أَرَادَ الرَّجُلُ الطَّلَاقَ طَلَّقَهَا فِي قُبُلِ عِدَّتِهَا بِغَيْرِ جِمَاعٍ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا طَلَّقَهَا وَاحِدَةً ثُمَّ تَرَكَهَا حَتَّى يَخْلُوَ أَجَلُهَا إِنْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ مَعَ الْخُطَّابِ فَعَلَ فَإِنْ رَاجَعَهَا[1] قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُوَ أَجَلُهَا أَوْ بَعْدَهُ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ عَلَى تَطْلِيقَةٍ فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا الثَّانِيَةَ أَيْضاً فَشَاءَ أَنْ يَخْطُبَهَا مَعَ الْخُ

9. Humayd ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘If a man decides to divorce he must do so before her waiting period without sexual intercourse. If he divorces once then leaves until her waiting perio