065.004YUSUFALI: Such of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the prescribed period, if ye have any doubts, is three months, and for those who have no courses (it is the same): for those who carry (life within their wombs), their period is until they deliver their burdens: and for those who fear Allah, He will make their path easy.
Three distinct groups of women are mentioned in the above verse (ayah). The first group is clearly menopausal women, those who have passed the age of monthly courses. The third group is clearly pregnant women, those who carry (life...). Who could the 2nd group of "women" be, those who have no courses? The tafsir, commentary of the Quran, give us insight.
The 'Iddah of Those in Menopause and Those Who do not have Menses Allah the Exalted clarifies the waiting period of the woman in menopause. And that is the one whose menstruation has stopped due to her older age. Her 'Iddah is three months instead of the three monthly cycles for those who menstruate, which is based upon the Ayah in (Surat) Al-Baqarah. [see 2:228] The same for the young, who have not reached the years of menstruation. Their 'Iddah is three months like those in menopause. This is the meaning of His saying; "and for those who have no courses..." as for His saying; "if you have doubt..." There are two opinions: First, is the saying of a group of the Salaf, like Mujahid, Az-Zuhri and Ibn Zayd. That is, if they see blood and there is doubt if it was menstrual blood or not. The second, is that if you do not know the ruling in this case, then know that their 'Iddah is three months. This has been reported from Sa'id bin Jubayr and it is the view preferred by Ibn Jarir. And this is the more obvious meaning. Supporting this view is what is reported from Ubay bin Ka'b that he said, "O Allah's Messenger! Some women were not mentioned in the Qur'an, the young, the old and the pregnant.'' Allah the Exalted and Most Honored sent down this Ayah,
Another tafsir, Tafsir al-Jalalayn states:
And [as for] those of your women who (read alla'i or alla'i in both instances) no longer expect to menstruate, if you have any doubts, about their waiting period, their prescribed [waiting] period shall be three months, and [also for] those who have not yet menstruated, because of their young age, their period shall [also] be three months — both cases apply to other than those whose spouses have died; for these [latter] their period is prescribed in the verse: they shall wait by themselves for four months and ten [days] [Q. 2:234]. And those who are pregnant, their term, the conclusion of their prescribed [waiting] period if divorced or if their spouses be dead, shall be when they deliver. And whoever fears God, He will make matters ease for him, in this world and in the Hereafter.
I don't claim to be a religious scholar. I'm just a normal person who wondered what Islam was really all about and took the time to read the Quran and many ahadith including Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and Sunan Abu-Dawud. I don't understand how anyone can say child brides or pedophilia are not a part of Islam. Well, there are two circumstances that might explain why people would deny abuse of little girls is allowed by Allah and was committed by Muhammad, one is ignorance and the other is deceit.