Sahih Muslim Book - 18, Hadith - 3653

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى وَقُتَيْبَةُ وَابْنُ رُمْحٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى - قَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ - عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَةً لَهُ وَهْىَ حَائِضٌ تَطْلِيقَةً وَاحِدَةً فَأَمَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَنْ يُرَاجِعَهَا ثُمَّ يُمْسِكَهَا حَتَّى تَطْهُرَ ثُمَّ تَحِيضَ عِنْدَهُ حَيْضَةً أُخْرَى ثُمَّ يُمْهِلَهَا حَتَّى تَطْهُرَ مِنْ حَيْضَتِهَا فَإِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا فَلْيُطَلِّقْهَا حِينَ تَطْهُرُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُجَامِعَهَا فَتِلْكَ الْعِدَّةُ الَّتِى أَمَرَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُطَلَّقَ لَهَا النِّسَاءُ. وَزَادَ ابْنُ رُمْحٍ فِى رِوَايَتِهِ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ إِذَا سُئِلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ لأَحَدِهِمْ أَمَّا أَنْتَ طَلَّقْتَ امْرَأَتَكَ مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَمَرَنِى بِهَذَا وَإِنْ كُنْتَ طَلَّقْتَهَا ثَلاَثًا فَقَدْ حَرُمَتْ عَلَيْكَ حَتَّى تَنْكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَكَ وَعَصَيْتَ اللَّهَ فِيمَا أَمَرَكَ مِنْ طَلاَقِ امْرَأَتِكَ. قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ جَوَّدَ اللَّيْثُ فِى قَوْلِهِ تَطْلِيقَةً وَاحِدَةً.

It was narrated from 'Abdullah that he divorced one of his wives while she was menstruating, with a single divorce. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) ordered him to take her back and keep her until she had become pure then menstruated again in his house. Then he should wait until she became pure again, then if he wished he could divorce her when she became pure, before having intercourse with her. That is the 'Iddah (prescribed periods) for which Allah has enjoined the divorce of women. Ibn Rumh added in his report: "When 'Abdullah was asked about that, he said to one of them: 'But if you have divorced your wife once or twice, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) told me to do that (i.e., take her back), but if you have divorced her three times, then she becomes unlawful to you until she marries another husband; and you have disobeyed Allah with regard to His commands about divorcing your wife."' Muslim said: Al-Laith did well with his saying: "A single divorce (a narrator)."