A Woman Confused about Pregnancy

“I once heard abu Ibrahim (a.s.), saying, ’If one divorces his wife and she claims to be pregnant, he must wait for nine months if she gives birth, otherwise, she counts a waiting period of three months.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a woman who is young and other women like her experience Hayd (menses). She is divorced: then her Hayd stops. How long is her waiting period? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is three months.’ I then asked that she has claimed to be pregnant after three months. He (the Imam) said, ‘Her waiting period is nine months.’ I then said that after nine months she has claimed to be pregnant. He (the Imam) said, ‘Pregnancy is for nine months.’ I then asked, ‘Can she marry?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She must observe precaution for three months.’ I then said that after three months she has claimed. He (the Imam) said, ‘There is no doubt about her, so she can marry if she wants.’”

“About the case of a woman who is divorced and she claims to be pregnant; so she waits for one year, abu Ibrahim or his father (a.s.), has said, ‘If she comes up with such claim after a year it is not accepted even if it is one hour more.’”

“I once asked the virtuous servant (a.s.), about the case of a woman who is young and women like her experience Hayd (menses). Her husband divorces her and her Hayd stops. How long is her waiting period? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is three months.’ I then said that she after three months became married and after going with her husband it was found that she is pregnant. He (the Imam) said, ‘This cannot happen, O ibn Hakim. Stoppage of Hayd is because of two reasons; it is because of disorder in Hayd in which case husbands were lawful for her, but she was not pregnant or that she is pregnant in which case it becomes apparent in three months because Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has set a time for it in which time pregnancy becomes apparent.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if she has doubts?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Her ‘Iddah (waiting period) is nine months.’ I then said that she after nine months has doubts. He (the Imam) said, ‘Pregnancy is for nine months only.’ I then asked if she could marry. He (the Imam) said, ‘She must observe precaution for three months.’ I then said that she has doubts after three months.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘There is no doubt in her case, so she can marry if she wants.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, or abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who divorces his wife and after three months she claims to be pregnant. He (the Imam) said, ‘There is a waiting for her for nine months.’ I then said, ‘She has claimed to be pregnant after that. He (the Imam) said, ‘This is far from reality. Hayd (menses) stops for two reasons, because of a clear pregnancy or disorder in Hayd. However, she can remain cautious for three months thereafter.’ “He (the narrator) also asked about a woman who experienced Hayd and then it stopped after one year and about how she is divorced. He (the Imam) said, ‘She is divorced in the presence of witnesses.’” (The following paragraph does not seem to be part of Hadith ) Certain ones have said that if he wants to divorce her, she does not experience Hayd (menses) and he has gone to bed with her; he can place her in quarantine. He must hold back from her for three months from the time a divorced woman becomes stranger to her husband, a woman whose Hayd (menses) is straight if pregnancy becomes clear, otherwise, he can divorce her once in the presence of two witnesses. If he leaves her for three months she becomes stranger by one divorce. If he wants to divorce her three times, he can leave her for one month, then go back to her, then divorce her for the second time, then hold back from her three months to place her in quarantine; if pregnancy becomes clear thereafter he only has to divorce her once.”