iddah the waiting period, step by step

I am past menopause, or I have never had periods. How long is my iddah after a divorce?

Three months, for a woman past menopause and for one who has never had a period: the Qurʾān says so and the scholars agree.12 If a period comes during those months, the count moves to periods (qurūʾ) instead.34

What the four schools say

All four schools agree on three months. They describe a little differently how to count when the divorce falls partway through a month.

  • Ḥanafī الحنفية

    Three months for a woman who does not menstruate because she is young, or because she is older and has reached the age of menopause. The months are counted by the crescent moon if the divorce was at the start of a month, and otherwise by days.910 A girl who starts menstruating during the months starts again with periods.6

  • Mālikī المالكية

    Three months for the woman past menstruation and for one who has never seen it. If the divorce fell partway through a month, that first month is completed to thirty days from the fourth.11 If a woman who can menstruate sees blood during the months, she moves to qurūʾ.4

  • Shāfiʿī الشافعية

    Three months. If the divorce fell partway through a month, two crescent months follow it and the broken month is completed to thirty days. If she menstruates during them, the qurūʾ become obligatory.12

  • Ḥanbalī الحنابلة

    Three months, by consensus. If the divorce fell partway through a month, she counts the rest of it, then two months by the crescent, then completes thirty days from the third.2 If a young girl menstruates during them, she moves to three qurūʾ.3

What can change this

  • If you are pregnant, the iddah ends at delivery.5
  • If you were counting periods and reached menopause during the iddah, the count moves to three months.36
  • If your periods stopped for a reason (such as nursing) or for no known reason, and you are not past menopause, the three months do not simply apply; see those questions.78

Sources

  1. 1

    Qurʾān, al-Ṭalāq 65:4

    Open: Qurʾān, al-Ṭalāq 65:4 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 1

    وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى يَئِسْنَ مِنَ ٱلْمَحِيضِ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ إِنِ ٱرْتَبْتُمْ فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلَـٰثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰتُ ٱلْأَحْمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ يُسْرًا

    And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women - if you doubt, then their period is three months, and [also for] those who have not menstruated. And for those who are pregnant, their term is until they give birth. And whoever fears Allāh - He will make for him of his matter ease.

  2. 2

    Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:105

    Open: Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:105 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 2

    (وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مِنْ الْآيِسَاتِ، أَوْ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يَحِضْنَ، فَعِدَّتُهَا ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ) أَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ عَلَى هَذَا … وَإِنْ وَقَعَ الطَّلَاقُ فِي أَثْنَاءِ شَهْرٍ اعْتَدَّتْ بَقِيَّتَهُ، ثُمَّ اعْتَدَّتْ شَهْرَيْنِ بِالْأَهِلَّةِ، ثُمَّ اعْتَدَّتْ مِنْ الشَّهْرِ الثَّالِثِ تَمَامَ ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا

    "If she is one of those past menstruation, or one who has not menstruated, her iddah is three months." The people of knowledge are in consensus on this. If the divorce falls during a month, she counts the rest of it, then two months by the crescent, then completes thirty days from the third month.

  3. 3

    Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:112

    Open: Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:112 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 3

    وَلِذَلِكَ لَوْ حَاضَتْ حَيْضَةً أَوْ حَيْضَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ يَئِسَتْ، انْتَقَلَتْ إلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ كَامِلَةٍ، وَلَوْ اعْتَدَّتْ الصَّغِيرَةُ شَهْرًا أَوْ شَهْرَيْنِ، ثُمَّ حَاضَتْ، انْتَقَلَتْ إلَى ثَلَاثَةِ قُرُوءٍ

    So if she menstruated once or twice and then passed menstruation, she moves to three complete months; and if a young girl counted a month or two and then menstruated, she moves to three qurūʾ.

  4. 4

    al-Dardīr, al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr ʿalā Mukhtaṣar Khalīl, with Ḥāshiyat al-Dasūqī (Mālikī), 2:473

    Open: al-Dardīr, al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr ʿalā Mukhtaṣar Khalīl, with Ḥāshiyat al-Dasūqī (Mālikī), 2:473 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 4

    (وَ) إذَا رَأَتْ مُمْكِنَةُ الْحَيْضِ الدَّمَ أَثْنَاءَ عِدَّتِهَا بِالْأَشْهُرِ وَلَوْ فِي آخِرِ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَشْهُرِهَا (انْتَقَلَتْ لِلْأَقْرَاءِ) وَأَلْغَتْ مَا تَقَدَّمَ؛ لِأَنَّ الْحَيْضَ هُوَ الْأَصْلُ فِي الدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى بَرَاءَةِ الرَّحِمِ

    If a woman who can menstruate sees blood during her iddah by months, even on its last day, she moves to qurūʾ and sets aside what came before, because menstruation is the original sign that the womb is empty.

  5. 5

    Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:117

    Open: Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:117 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 5

    وَلَوْ طَلَّقَهَا، أَوْ مَاتَ عَنْهَا، وَهِيَ حَامِلٌ مِنْهُ، لَمْ تَنْقَضِ عِدَّتُهَا إلَّا بِوَضْعِ الْحَمْلِ، أَمَةً كَانَتْ أَوْ حُرَّةً أَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْأَعْصَارِ، عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُطَلَّقَةَ الْحَامِلَ تَنْقَضِي عِدَّتُهَا بِوَضْعِ حَمْلِهَا

    "If he divorced her, or died, while she was pregnant by him, her iddah does not end except by the delivery of the pregnancy, whether she is enslaved or free." The people of knowledge in every age are in consensus that the pregnant divorced woman's iddah ends with the delivery of her pregnancy.

7 more sources, 6 to 12
  1. 6

    Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:515

    Open: Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:515 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 6

    (وَالصَّغِيرَةُ) لَوْ حَاضَتْ بَعْدَ تَمَامِ الْأَشْهُرِ (لَا) تَسْتَأْنِفُ (إلَّا إذَا حَاضَتْ فِي أَثْنَائِهَا) فَتَسْتَأْنِفُ بِالْحَيْضِ (كَمَا تَسْتَأْنِفُ) الْعِدَّةَ (بِالشُّهُورِ مَنْ حَاضَتْ حَيْضَةً) ، أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ (ثُمَّ أَيِسَتْ)

    A young girl who menstruates after the months are complete does not start again, unless she menstruates during them, in which case she starts again with menstruations; just as a woman who menstruated once or twice and then passed menstruation starts the iddah again in months.

  2. 7

    Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:111

    Open: Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:111 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 7

    أَمَّا إذَا عَرَفَتْ أَنَّ ارْتِفَاعَ الْحَيْضِ بِعَارِضٍ؛ مِنْ مَرَضٍ، أَوْ نِفَاسٍ، أَوْ رَضَاعٍ، فَإِنَّهَا تَنْتَظِرُ زَوَالَ الْعَارِضِ، وَعَوْدَ الدَّمِ وَإِنْ طَالَ، إلَّا أَنْ تَصِيرَ فِي سِنِّ الْإِيَاسِ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَاهُ. فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ تَعْتَدَّ عِدَّةَ الْآيِسَاتِ

    If she knows that her menstruation stopped because of something that came up — illness, postnatal bleeding or breastfeeding — she waits for it to pass and for the blood to return, however long it takes, unless she reaches the age of menopause, as we mentioned; then she observes the iddah of women past menstruation.

  3. 8

    Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:109

    Open: Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), 8:109 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 8

    إذَا طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ، وَهِيَ مِنْ ذَوَاتِ الْأَقْرَاءِ، فَلَمْ تَرَ الْحَيْضَ فِي عَادَتِهَا، وَلَمْ تَدْرِ مَا رَفَعَهُ، فَإِنَّهَا تَعْتَدُّ سَنَةً؛ تِسْعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ مِنْهَا تَتَرَبَّصُ فِيهَا لِتَعْلَمَ بَرَاءَةَ رَحِمِهَا؛ لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةَ هِيَ غَالِبُ مُدَّةُ الْحَمْلِ، فَإِذَا لَمْ يَبْنِ الْحَمْلُ فِيهَا، عُلِمَ بَرَاءَةُ الرَّحِمِ ظَاهِرًا، فَتَعْتَدَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ عِدَّةَ الْآيِسَاتِ، ثَلَاثَةَ أَشْهُرٍ. هَذَا قَوْلُ عُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -، قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ هَذَا قَضَاءُ عُمَرَ بَيْنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ، لَا يُنْكِرُهُ مِنْهُمْ مُنْكِرٌ عَلِمْنَاهُ. وَبِهِ قَالَ مَالِكٌ، وَالشَّافِعِيُّ فِي أَحَدِ قَوْلَيْهِ … وَقَالَ فِي الْجَدِيدِ: تَكُونُ فِي عِدَّةٍ أَبَدًا، حَتَّى تَحِيضَ، أَوْ تَبْلُغَ سِنَّ الْإِيَاسِ، تَعْتَدُّ حِينَئِذٍ بِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ

    If a man divorces his wife while she is one who menstruates, and she does not see her period at its usual time and does not know what stopped it, she observes a year: nine months in which she waits to know her womb is empty, because that is the usual length of pregnancy; if no pregnancy appears, the womb is outwardly known to be empty, and she then observes the iddah of women past menstruation, three months. This is the ruling of ʿUmar; al-Shāfiʿī said it was ʿUmar's judgment among the Muhājirūn and Anṣār, and he knew of no one who objected. Mālik held it, and al-Shāfiʿī in one of his two views. Al-Shāfiʿī said in the new view: she remains in iddah until she menstruates or reaches the age of menopause, and then observes three months.

  4. 9

    Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:507

    Open: Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:507 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 9

    (وَ) الْعِدَّةُ (فِي) حَقِّ (مَنْ لَمْ تَحِضْ) حُرَّةً أَمْ أُمَّ وَلَدٍ (لِصِغَرٍ) بِأَنْ لَمْ تَبْلُغْ تِسْعًا (أَوْ كِبَرٍ)

    The iddah of one who does not menstruate, because she is young (has not reached nine years) or old…

  5. 10

    Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:509

    Open: Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:509 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 10

    (ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ) بِالْأَهِلَّةِ لَوْ فِي الْغُرَّةِ وَإِلَّا فَبِالْأَيَّامِ بَحْرٌ وَغَيْرُهُ (إنْ وُطِئَتْ) فِي الْكُلِّ وَلَوْ حُكْمًا كَالْخَلْوَةِ وَلَوْ فَاسِدَةً كَمَا مَرَّ

    …is three months: by the crescents if the divorce was at the start of the month, and otherwise by days — if intercourse took place, in all of these cases, even constructively, such as seclusion (khalwah), even an invalid one, as stated before.

  6. 11

    al-Dardīr, al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr ʿalā Mukhtaṣar Khalīl, with Ḥāshiyat al-Dasūqī (Mālikī), 2:470

    Open: al-Dardīr, al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr ʿalā Mukhtaṣar Khalīl, with Ḥāshiyat al-Dasūqī (Mālikī), 2:470 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 11

    كَعِدَّةِ مَنْ لَمْ تَرَ الْحَيْضَ) لِصِغَرٍ، وَهِيَ مُطِيقَةٌ أَوْ لِكَوْنِهَا لَمْ تَرَهُ أَصْلًا. (وَ) عِدَّةُ (الْيَائِسَةِ) مِنْ الْحَيْضِ فَإِنَّهَا ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَقَوْلُهُ: (وَلَوْ بِرِقٍّ) مُبَالَغَةٌ فِي قَوْلِهِ: وَإِنْ لَمْ تُمَيِّزْ إلَخْ (وَتُمِّمَ) الشَّهْرُ الْأَوَّلُ الَّذِي وَقَعَ فِيهِ الطَّلَاقُ ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا (مِنْ الرَّابِعِ فِي الْكَسْرِ)

    …like the iddah of one who has not seen menstruation, because she is young or has never seen it; and the iddah of the woman past menstruation is three months. When the divorce falls partway through a month, the first month is completed to thirty days from the fourth.

  7. 12

    al-Nawawī, Minhāj al-Ṭālibīn (Shāfiʿī), p. 253

    Open: al-Nawawī, Minhāj al-Ṭālibīn (Shāfiʿī), p. 253 ↗checked Oct 18, 2026
    Read the passage: source 12

    وحرة لم تحض أو يئست بثلاثة أشهر فإن طلقت في أثناء شهر فبعده هلالان وتكمل المنكسر ثلاثين فإن حاضت فيها وجبت الإقراء

    A free woman who has not menstruated, or who has passed menstruation, (observes the iddah) with three months. If she was divorced partway through a month, two crescent months follow it and the broken month is completed to thirty. If she menstruates during them, the qurūʾ become obligatory.

Pending scholarly review · Every point here is from the sources cited. It has not yet been reviewed by a scholar.

Sources checked (7 Jumādā al-Ūlā 1448)

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