Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 3555
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ يُونُسَ بْنَ جُبَيْرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، قَالَ طَلَّقْتُ امْرَأَتِي وَهِيَ حَائِضٌ فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عُمَرُ فَذَكَرَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مُرْهُ أَنْ يُرَاجِعَهَا فَإِذَا طَهُرَتْ - يَعْنِي - فَإِنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُطَلِّقْهَا " . قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ عُمَرَ فَاحْتَسَبْتَ مِنْهَا فَقَالَ مَا يَمْنَعُهَا أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ عَجَزَ وَاسْتَحْمَقَ .
Muhammad bin Al-Muthanna narrated to us: Muhammad narrated to us; Shu'bah narrated to us, from Qatadah, who said: I heard Yunus bin Jubair say: I heard Ibn 'Umar say: 'I divorced my wife while she was menstruating. 'Umar went to the Prophet and told him about it. The Prophet said: Tell him to take her back. When she is pure, if he wishes, let him divorce her.' I asked Ibn 'Umar, 'Did you count it as a divorce?' He replied: 'What would prevent it from counting? Consider what would happen if a man became incapable and acted foolishly.'
Translation notes
قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ عُمَرَ فَاحْتَسَبْتَ مِنْهَا فَقَالَ مَا يَمْنَعُهَا أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ عَجَزَ وَاسْتَحْمَقَ .
The closing rhetorical question is terse and its exact implication is not explicit in the Arabic wording.
Does Ibn 'Umar mean that the divorce still counts despite the husband's incapacity or foolishness?