The 'Iddah (Waiting Period) in Islamic Law: A Comparative Analysis of its Rationale for Divorced Women and Widows

What I present is not jurisprudential interpretation, but a scientific exposition of what divine legislation has established in its rulings and principles. The waiting period (‘Iddah) for a divorced woman is three consecutive menstrual cycles. Upon completion, she has the right to a new beginning through remarriage if she so chooses. For a widow, however, it is four months and ten days. Thereafter, she is free to choose marriage or seclusion. Thus, the Almighty Creator has obligated: The divorced woman to await her menstrual blood, The widow to count days—not menstrual cycles. He deemed three menstrual cycles sufficient for the divorced woman (≈3 months/12 weeks), while extending the widow’s waiting period to four months and ten days (≈18 weeks). What is the divine wisdom behind this distinction?