Is it permissible to divorce a woman who is breastfeeding?
Question

                Is it permissible to divorce a woman who is breastfeeding?
Praise be to Allah.
	Yes, it is permissible to divorce a woman who is 
	breastfeeding, if the husband divorces her during a period of purity in 
	which he has not had intercourse with her. But if he divorces her when she 
	is menstruating, or during a period of purity in which he has had 
	intercourse with her, then this is a prohibited divorce according to 
	scholarly consensus. 

	Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

	As for that which is prohibited, it is divorce during menses, 
	or during the period of purity in which he has had intercourse with her. 

	The scholars of all regions and all time periods are 
	unanimously agreed that that is prohibited, and is called an innovated 
	divorce (talaaq al-bid‘ah), because the one who issued this divorce has gone 
	against the Sunnah and ignored the command of Allah, may He be exalted, and 
	His Messenger. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the 
	meaning): “divorce 
	them at a time when the period of ‘Iddah may start” 
	[at-Talaaq 65:1]. And 
	the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If he (the 
	husband) wants to issue a divorce before he has touched his wife, he may do 
	so; that is the time at which Allah has permitted divorcing women.” End 
	quote. 

	Al-Mughni 
	(8/235) 

	If the breastfeeding woman is not menstruating because of 
	breastfeeding, as often happens, then if her husband has not had intercourse 
	with her during that period of purity, he may divorce her, but if he has had 
	intercourse with her, then it is not permissible for him to divorce her 
	until she menstruates, then becomes pure, even if that takes a long time. 

	Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	The words: “During a period of purity in which he has not had 
	intercourse with her” exclude the case in which he divorces her during a 
	period of purity in which he has had intercourse with her, because that is 
	an innovated divorce, even if the period of purity lasted for a long time. 
	If we assume that this man’s wife became pure from nifaas (post-partum 
	bleeding) and he had intercourse with her when she was still breastfeeding, 
	and usually the woman who is breastfeeding does not menstruate until she has 
	weaned her child, which is after approximately two years, then if he 
	divorces her within those two years, it is an innovated divorce, because it 
	has occurred during a period of purity in which he had intercourse with her. 
	So he should wait until her menses has come then she becomes pure. End 
	quote.

	Ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ 
	(13/37)

	And Allah knows best.