The Iddah Of A Woman Whose Husband Dies
Darussalam · Volume 4
27. The Book Of DivorceSunan an-Nasai Darussalam English translation
الحديث: 3501 ¦ الجزء: 6 ¦ الصفحة: 188
Source no. 3501 · Volume 8 · Page 73
Sahih
صحيح الترمذي (١٢١٥)
Source no. 3276 · Volume 2 · Page 742
Sahih
(صحيح) - المصدر نفسه: ق.
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3531. It was narrated from Zainab bint Umm Salamah – I (the narrator) said: “From her mother?” He said: “Yes” – “that the Prophet ﷺ was asked about a woman whose husband had died but they were worried about her eyes – could she use kohl?" He said: "One of you used to stay in her house wearing her shabbiest clothes for a year, then she would come out. No, (the mourning period is) four months and ten (days)." (Sahīh)
3501 - أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قُلْتُ: عَنْ أُمِّهَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ: إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سُئِلَ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا فَخَافُوا عَلَى عَيْنِهَا أَتَكْتَحِلُ؟ فَقَالَ: «قَدْ كَانَتْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ تَمْكُثُ فِي بَيْتِهَا فِي شَرِّ أَحْلَاسِهَا حَوْلًا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَتْ فَلَا أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا»
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[1] At-Talaq 65:4.
[2] Al-Ahzab 33:49. See no. 3584.
1. The waiting period of a woman whose husband dies, is four months and ten days. There is consensus over this matter, provided the woman is not pregnant. She shall have to remain in the state of mourning during this period, in which she will have to abstain from all sorts of adornment. Kohl or collyrium is also an adornment. She, therefore, may not apply collyrium during mourning. If there is any trouble in one's eyes, some other medication could be utilized, which is not generally used as a means of adornment. 2. During the period of ignorance, it was a custom to keep the woman, whose husband had died, secluded in a room for a period of one year. She was not even permitted to bathe and wash herself, to the extent that she could not take a bath after menstruation. She also wore the same clothes the entire period. That is why they (the clothes) are called the worst garments in the Hadīth. They used to smell so bad that if some animal touched her body, it would die. She used to be taken out of her room after one year. She was then handed camel's dung, which she would throw back over her head. So to say, now her bad condition has come to an end, as a sign of the end of her waiting period. Islam prevented a widow from adornment only. She would continue to reside with the other members of the household. She would take a bath and wash herself. She would, however, abstain from new or attractive garments, jewelry, make-up, and other adornments, and remain indoors as far as possible.