Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 107
2: 234) and (And for those who are pregnant [whether they are
divorced or their husbands are dead], their 'Iddah [prescribed period]
is until they lay down their burden) (Qur'an 65: 4). So if the pregnant
woman whose husband has died gives birth before four months and
ten days are over, then she should complete the period (of the 'iddah),
and not follow the general meaning of the second verse, because the
first verse is more specific. If she completes the period of four months
and ten days, then her 'iddah does not end until she gives birth,
because the first verse may be general in one way but it is made
specific by the second. Both verses are general in one way and
specific in another, and each of them makes the other specific
according to 'Ali (&).
Perhaps he was choosing to act on the safe side in order to
reconcile between the two verses,ls4 but the more correct view is that
in either case, her 'iddah ends when she gives birth. It was narrated in
a sound report from Abdullah ihn 'Utbah that Subay 'ah bint al-Hirith
told him that she was married to Sa'd ibn Khawlah, who was present
at Badr, and he died during the farewell pilgrimage when she was
pregnant. Soon after he died, she gave birth, and when her
postchildhirth bleeding ended, she beautified herself to receive
proposals of marriage. Abu as-Sanghi1 entered upon her and said to
her: Why do I see you adorned? Perhaps you hope to get married? By
Allah (&), you will not get married until four months and ten days
have passed. Subay 'ah said: When he said that to me, I put on my
outer garments in the evening and went to the Messenger of Allah
(g), and I asked him about that, and he answered me that my 'iddah
had ended when I gave birth, and he told me to get manied if I
wanted to.Is5
Perhaps 'Ali (&) gave that decision because he had not heard
, .
the hadith of Subay 'ah, otherwise he would not have gone against a
proven sound report from the Prophet (&).ls6