It is narrated that some people said: We have known the waiting period of those who have menstruation, so what is the waiting period of those who do not menstruate? Then it was revealed: So the meaning of "If you are in doubt" is: If the ruling regarding them is unclear to you and you do not know how they should observe their waiting period, then this is their ruling. It was also said: If you are in doubt regarding the age of maturity for women, which has been estimated at sixty years and fifty-five, is it menstrual blood or irregular bleeding?

Their waiting period is three months. If this is the waiting period for those in doubt, then those who are not in doubt are more deserving of it. And those who do not menstruate are the young girls. The meaning is: Their waiting period is three months, so it was omitted due to the indication of what has been mentioned. The wording is general for those who are pregnant, thus it includes the divorced women and those whose husbands have died. Ibn Mas'ud, Ubayy, Abu Huraira, and others did not differentiate. And Ali and Ibn Abbas said: The waiting period of a pregnant woman whose husband has died is the longer of the two periods.

[It is narrated by al-Bukhari in his Sahih that a man came to Ibn Abbas while Abu Huraira was with him. He said: Give me a ruling regarding a woman who gave birth forty nights after her husband's death. Ibn Abbas said: The longer of the two periods, and there is a story of Sabi'ah. And there is a disagreement with Abu Huraira regarding this, narrated by Ibn Abi Shaiba from Waki' from Ismail from al-Sha'bi who said: Abdullah said, "The term for every pregnant woman is until she gives birth," and Ali used to say, "The longer of the two periods," and there is another connected narration from him through Ubaid bin al-Hasan from Abdul Rahman bin Maqal who said: "I witnessed Ali, may Allah be pleased with him..." and he mentioned it similarly.]

And Abdullah said: Whoever wishes, let him know that the short chapter of women was revealed after that which is in al-Baqarah.

[It was narrated by al-Bukhari, Abu Dawood, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah from the route of Masruq, and al-Bukhari did not mention its beginning. And Abdul Razzaq added that he said this when he heard that Ali said: "It is in the longer of the two periods."]]

This means: that this wording is general for pregnant women. And Umm Salamah narrated that Sabi'ah al-Aslamiyyah gave birth a few nights after her husband's death, and she mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, who said to her: You are free to marry.

[This is agreed upon and has various routes and wordings. In the narration of al-Bukhari, it states: "She gave birth forty nights after his death."]]

He makes for him ease in his affairs, He makes ease for him in his affairs and permits him from his contracts due to piety. This is the command of Allah, meaning what He has decreed regarding these women in their waiting periods. The meaning is: And whoever fears Allah in acting upon what Allah has revealed of these rulings and maintains the rights that are obligatory upon him, such as providing housing, avoiding harm, supporting pregnant women, and giving the wages to wet nurses, and other than that: he deserves the expiation of sins and a great reward.