Chapter on the Divorce of a Woman Who Has Not Reached Menstruation, One Reached Menopausal Age, One with Irregular Menstruation, and One with Uncertain Menstruation

Muhammad ibn Hakim narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim who said: I heard Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام say regarding a woman who has reached menopause and her husband divorces her: "She is separated from him, and there is no waiting period ('iddah) upon her."

Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Aban ibn Uthman, from Al-Halabi, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام who said: "The waiting period ('iddah) for a woman who does not menstruate, for a woman experiencing continuous irregular bleeding (mustahadah) who does not become pure, and for a young girl who has reached menopause is three months. As for a woman whose menstruation is regular, her waiting period is three menstrual cycles."

In a narration from Jamil, it is reported: He asked about a man who divorces a young girl who has not reached puberty and is not of the age to conceive, even though he had consummated the marriage with her, and about a woman who has reached menopause, whose menstruation has ceased, and who is not capable of conceiving. Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no waiting period ('iddah) for either of them."

Al-Bazanti narrated from Al-Muthanna, from Zurara, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام who said: I asked him about a woman who menstruates only once every three or four years. Imam عليه السلام said: "She observes a waiting period of three months, and then she may marry if she wishes."

Al-Alaa narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from one of the two Imams (peace be upon them), who said regarding; A woman who menstruates once every three months or once every year, And the mustahadah (a woman with continuous bleeding), And the girl who has not yet reached puberty, And the woman who menstruates once and then her menstruation stops, And the woman who does not expect to bear children, And the woman whose menstruation has ceased but claims she has not despaired, And the woman who sees yellowish discharge from irregular menstruation (Imams عليه السلام said) that "the waiting period for all of these women is three months."

Ibn Abi Umayr and Al-Bazanti both narrated from Jamil, from Zurara, from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام who said: "There are two matters, whichever occurs first will determine the separation of a suspiciously divorced woman who is uncertain about her menstruation. If three full white months pass without any blood, she is separated by that. However, if three menstrual cycles occur, even if there are not three full months between them, she is separated by the menstruation."

Abu al-Sabbah al-Kinani asked Abu Abdullah عليه السلام about a woman who menstruates once every three years-how should she observe her waiting period? Imam عليه السلام said: "She should consider the usual menstruation cycles she used to have when her menstruation was regular and observe a waiting period of three menstrual cycles. Then, if she wishes, she may marry."

Muhammad ibn Muslim asked Imam عليه السلام about the waiting period of a mustahadah (a woman experiencing continuous bleeding). Imam عليه السلام said: "She should wait for the duration of her usual menstrual cycles, adding a day or subtracting a day. If she does not menstruate, then she should look at the menstrual cycles of some of the women like her and observe her waiting period according to their cycles."

It is narrated: "When a woman reaches the age of fifty, she no longer sees menstrual blood, except if she is a woman from the tribe of Quraysh."