Hazrat Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about Ilaa, he said: "This is nothing."

Hazrat Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "If a man makes an oath of abstinence (ila') from his wife and four months pass, the ila' does not take effect until he gives divorce." I said: "Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) says that after four months, one irrevocable divorce (bainah) takes place." He said: "When you meet Hasan, convey my greetings and tell him that he has said something very wrong."

Hazrat Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Ila is not divorce, rather it is a sin, and divorce does not become necessary due to a sin. Yes, after four months the man will be stopped, either he should return (to his wife) or give divorce."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "In the days of ignorance, people used to do ila’ (oath of abstinence from wives) for a year, two years, or even longer. Then Allah the Exalted fixed the period at four months. Now, any ila’ that is less than four months is not considered ila’."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Whoever swears an oath not to approach his wife for one month and then leaves her for four months, this is not Ilaa (oath of abstention)."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "After four months, a bainah (irrevocable) divorce takes place."

This is also the statement of Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "If a man makes an oath of abstinence (ila) from his wife and does not approach her before four months, then one irrevocable divorce (talaq bain) will take place. Then the woman will observe the waiting period ('iddah) for three menstrual cycles. And during the 'iddah, if they wish, they can remarry."

Hazrat Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) also narrated this same tradition from Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him).

When Sayyiduna Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) made an oath of abstinence (ila) from his wife, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If four months have passed, then acknowledge the divorce."