Does a woman's waiting period (Iddah) for divorce end immediately upon cessation of menstruation during the third cycle, prior to performing Ghusl (ritual purification)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Reconciliation (Return During 'Iddah)
Primary text
The waiting period does not end until the woman performs Ghusl after the third cessation of menses, and the husband retains the right of Raj'ah (revoking the divorce) during this interval. This view is attributed to a significant number of our companions, and it is narrated from Umar, Ali, Ibn Masud, Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, ath-Thawri, and Abu Ubaid. A similar position is narrated from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Abu Musa, Ubadah, and Abu Ad-Darda. The rationale is that most rulings pertaining to menstruation do not cease except through Ghusl, and this ruling follows suit. Furthermore, one opinion suggests that if the woman delays Ghusl for many years, she remains under the ruling, though this specific extreme application is debated.
Supporting text
The second narration holds that the waiting period is concluded immediately upon achieving purity (Tuhur) before Ghusl. This is the position of Tawus, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and al-Awza'i, and was chosen by Abu al-Khattab. The evidence cited is the Almighty's statement regarding divorced women waiting for three Quru' (Quran 2:228), where Quru' signifies menstruation; thus, its cessation signifies the end of the waiting period. Another supporting argument is that the conclusion of the Iddah relates to the finality of separation and her permissibility to remarry others, which should not be contingent upon a voluntary act by the woman unless tied to the husband's declaration, similar to divorce and other numerical reckonings.