What is the iddah (waiting period) after divorce and why is it observed?

Iddah is the waiting period a woman observes after divorce before she may remarry, primarily lasting three menstrual cycles for women who menstruate, established directly in the Quran. For women who no longer menstruate or have not yet begun, or whose cycle is irregular, the Quran sets the period at three months instead, and for a pregnant woman the iddah continues until she delivers, regardless of how much time that takes. The waiting period serves several purposes: it confirms whether the woman is pregnant so that paternity and the child's rights are clear, it provides a built-in cooling-off period during which a revocable divorce can still be reversed, and it upholds the dignity of both spouses by preventing hasty remarriage. During iddah from a revocable divorce, the woman generally remains in the marital home, and the husband continues to owe her maintenance, since the marriage is not yet fully dissolved. Iddah after an irrevocable divorce or after the husband's death follows related but distinct rules regarding residence and support.

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