Those Who Do Not Menstruate (65:4)

A gross misinterpretation of Quran 65:4 has often been used to justify child marriage. This article systematically refutes this distortion by examining the verse in its proper linguistic, contextual, and theological framework.

For background, Quran 65:4 addresses the waiting period (iddah) for divorce in specific circumstances. Those who attempt to justify child marriage focus on the phrase “wa-allāī lam yaḥiḍ’na” ( وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ), meaning “those who do not menstruate,” claiming it refers to prepubescent children. This interpretation is not only linguistically flawed but also creates irreconcilable contradictions with the Quran’s own verses.

1	wa-allāī	وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى	And those who
2	ya-is’na	يَئِسْنَ	[they] despaired*
3	mina	مِنَ	of*
4	l-maḥīḍi	ٱلْمَحِيضِ	the menstruation* (*reached menopause)
5	min	مِن	among
6	nisāikum	نِّسَآئِكُمْ	your women,
7	ini	إِنِ	if
8	ir’tabtum	ٱرْتَبْتُمْ	you [all] doubt,
9	faʿiddatuhunna	فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ	then their waiting period (is)
10	thalāthatu	ثَلَـٰثَةُ	three
11	ashhurin	أَشْهُرٍ	months.
12	wa-allāī	وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى	And those who
13	lam	لَمْ	not
14	yaḥiḍ’na	يَحِضْنَ	they menstruate
15	wa-ulātu	وَأُو۟لَـٰتُ	and possess
16	l-aḥmāli	ٱلْأَحْمَالِ	[the] pregnant,
17	ajaluhunna	أَجَلُهُنَّ	their term
18	an	أَن	when
19	yaḍaʿna	يَضَعْنَ	they relieve / give birth
20	ḥamlahunna	حَمْلَهُنَّ	their load (*give birth).
21	waman	وَمَن	And whoever
22	yattaqi	يَتَّقِ	[he] reverences
23	l-laha	ٱللَّهَ	God,
24	yajʿal	يَجْعَل	He will make
25	lahu	لَّهُۥ	for him
26	min	مِنْ	of
27	amrihi	أَمْرِهِۦ	his affair / matter
28	yus’ran	يُسْرًا	easy.

The fundamental error in this misinterpretation is ignoring what the verse actually addresses and attempting to infer what it does not say. Quran 65:4 concerns the waiting period following divorce, not the criteria for what makes one permissible for marriage. This is indicated in the chapter title, “The Divorce” (Surah At-Talaq), which focuses on divorce procedures, as the first verse of the chapter makes clear:

Using a verse about divorce procedures to determine who is eligible for marriage, which is addressed elsewhere in the Quran, is illogical and puts the proverbial cart before the horse.

As stated in a previous article, according to the Quran, children are not eligible for marriage. This is because, according to 4:6, a person must be both physiologically and mentally mature to marry. This verse uses the term “al-nikah” ( ٱلنِّكَاحَ ), which literally means “the marriage” as a reference to the criteria one must meet to be permitted to marry.

This verse establishes that marriage eligibility requires an individual to demonstrate “rushd” ( رُشْدًا )—sound judgment and maturity. This is established when the person is capable of managing their own wealth and property independently, without a guardian. Children, by definition, cannot meet this standard. Therefore, children are categorically ineligible for marriage according to the Quran itself.

Verse 65:4 discusses the necessary interim period between a husband and wife if they choose to divorce. Since children are not eligible for marriage, this verse cannot be regarding them, and such an understanding would be a gross twisting of the meaning of the verse. Additionally, verse 65:4 uses the term “nisāikum” ( نِّسَآئِكُمْ ), which means “your women.” If the verse were about children, it would not use this term, which denotes adult women rather than children. If this verse were referring to children, one would expect the Quran to use one of the many words for children, but it does not.

Since this expression is not about children and also not about women who reached menopause, then who is this verse addressing?

This expression is regarding full-grown women who do not menstruate. This understanding is consistent with the rest of the Quran and does not form numerous contradictions or equate an immoral action to God.

There are many reasons why a woman may not menstruate, such as hormonal imbalance, stress, medical conditions, medications, contraceptives, or athletic amenorrhea. But the most common reason, which also best aligns with the verse, is pregnancy.

If we look at the expression used immediately after referencing “those who do not menstruate,” “wa-allāī lam yaḥiḍ’na” ( وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ), in 65:4, it states “wa-ulātu l-aḥmāli” ( وَأُو۟لَـٰتُ حَمْلَهُنَّ ), which means “and those who are pregnant.” These back-to-back statements indicate that the ones who do not menstruate are those who are already pregnant.

12	wa-allāī	وَٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى	And those who
13	lam	لَمْ	not
14	yaḥiḍ’na	يَحِضْنَ	they menstruate
15	wa-ulātu	وَأُو۟لَـٰتُ	and possessors of
16	l-aḥmāli	ٱلْأَحْمَالِ	[the] pregnant,
17	ajaluhunna	أَجَلُهُنَّ	their term
18	an	أَن	when
19	yaḍaʿna	يَضَعْنَ	they relieve / give birth
20	ḥamlahunna	حَمْلَهُنَّ	their load (*give birth).

If someone claims this category is referencing children this creates a logical impossibility within the verse itself. The verse states that for “those who do not menstruate,” their waiting period ends upon giving birth. But if this phrase refers to prepubescent children who cannot menstruate, there would be no condition under which their waiting period could be fulfilled, since they cannot become pregnant. That would render this verse impossible. This contradiction disappears when the phrase is understood correctly: it refers to women who are not currently menstruating because they are already pregnant.

Some argue that the usage of the term “lam” ( لَمْ ), which means “not” in the past tense, implies that these are women who “have not yet” menstruated in an attempt to push the meaning that this implies children. The problem with this understanding is that it not only creates contradictions with other verses of the Quran, as mentioned above, but also creates an inaccurate understanding of how this word is used. For example, if I say, “My coworker did not get his work done,” ( لم يُنجِزْ زَمِيلِي عَمَلَهُ ), it would be absurd to think I mean that my coworker never got his work done, but only that, for the task at hand we were dealing with, he did not get his work done.

We observe the word “lam” (لَمْ) used in this manner in 2:283, which describes another guideline the Quran provides: the recording of financial transactions. This verse details what one is supposed to do if one does not find a scribe.

1	wa-in	وَإِن	And if
2	kuntum	كُنتُمْ	you [all] are
3	ʿalā	عَلَىٰ	on
4	safarin	سَفَرٍ	a journey (travelling)
5	walam	وَلَمْ	and not
6	tajidū	تَجِدُوا۟	you [all] find
7	kātiban	كَاتِبًا	a scribe,

To claim that the word “lam” ( لَمْ ) signifies “not yet” as in “never” would mean that the condition above applies to those who have never found a scribe in their life. Obviously, such an understanding would be inaccurate. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that this refers only to the period during which someone is on a journey and seeking a scribe to complete a financial transaction.

Similarly, 65:4 only regards the interim period for divorce as stated in the sura’s initial verse and not the individual’s entire life.

This means that this is not referring to someone who never menstruated, but only one who did not menstruate during the divorce interim from when the divorce was initiated. Accordingly, when one initiates a divorce, and the woman is not menstruating due to pregnancy, then their interim ends upon giving birth.

Some attempt to justify child marriage by arguing that since it was a common practice in the past, we cannot say it is immoral. Yet it doesn’t matter what the people of the past did. Their judgment is between them and God. The Quran warns us not to rely on the excuses of what individuals did in the past to ever justify sin, and that God never advocates sexual immorality (fahsha).

Despite the obvious fact that 65:4 is not about children, some people continue to attribute these kinds of lies to God and the Quran. Ironically, this is mostly done by Sunnis who want to defend their tradition of the lie that the Prophet married a child, despite the fact that the Quran confirms otherwise.