When does the 'iddah of a divorced woman expire if *quru'* means menstruation and the completion hinges on ritual bathing (ghusl)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Waiting Periods ('Iddah)
Primary text
One scholarly view, held by figures including 'Umar, 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, and accounts linked to Ahmad, states that the 'iddah remains binding until she performs the *ghusl* after the third menstruation. This view is supported by reports from figures like Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Al-Thawri, and Ishaq, and is attributed to Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, Abu Musa, 'Ubadah, and Abu Darda'. The rationale provided is that since she is prohibited from prayer due to the state of ritual impurity from menstruation, she is analogous to a menstruating woman until purification is achieved. For Al-Thawri and Abu Hanifa, if the bleeding stops before the maximum duration of menses, the 'iddah ends upon cessation; if it stops after the maximum duration, the 'iddah ends upon cessation.
Supporting text
Another view, favored by Abu Al-Khattab, Al-Shafi'i (in his older opinion), Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and Al-Awza'i, holds that the 'iddah concludes upon her purification from the third menstruation and the cessation of bleeding. The evidence cited is Allah's command for three *quru'* (Quran 2:228), which are completed when washing becomes obligatory, prayer becomes permissible, and fasting is valid. Furthermore, other rulings of 'iddah—inheritance, validity of subsequent divorce, and financial maintenance (nafaqa)—cease upon the completion of the specified time.