When does the waiting period ('Iddah) for a divorced woman commence?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Waiting Periods ('Iddah)
Primary text
The waiting period commences from the exact hour the husband separated from his wife. If the separation occurred at midnight or noon, the counting begins from that precise moment and continues until the corresponding time in the subsequent period. This is the position held by the majority of scholars. The basis for this is that the duration specified by Allah, {Their waiting period is three months} (Quran 65:4), must not be exceeded without evidence. Since calculating time by hours is possible, either certainly or by estimation, there is no justification to add beyond what Allah has obligated.
Supporting text
Abu Abdullah ibn Hamid holds that counting by hours is not to be done. Instead, the counting begins from the first moment of the subsequent night or day. If divorced during the day, the counting starts from the beginning of the following night; if divorced at night, it starts at the beginning of the following day. This view aligns with Malik, based on the difficulty (mashaqqah) inherent in calculating hours, leading to the dismissal of hourly consideration.