Rulings on the Waiting Period Following the Death of a Husband
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Her father passed away, and when her mother entered the waiting period, she observed the following practices: first, she wore only white clothing; she covered the mirrors; she did not take a full ritual bath except on Saturdays; she did not sleep on the bed but on the floor; and she did not leave the house at all until the waiting period ended. Is this correct, or is it an innovation? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
All of this is incorrect except for one issue, which is not leaving the house. The woman in the waiting period following her husband's death must stay in the house where her husband died. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the woman whose husband had died: "Stay in your house until the term of the decree is fulfilled." However, if she has a pressing need, or if she feels confined by staying in the house and goes out to her neighbors during the day, there is no harm in that. Going out during the day for a need is permissible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) granted a dispensation to the widows of the martyrs who were martyred at Uhud, allowing them to gather and converse during the day so that their loneliness and distress would be relieved. He ordered them to return to their respective houses at night. This is regarding leaving the house. As for what the questioner mentioned other than staying in the house, all of it is incorrect. She is permitted to take a full ritual bath as needed, whether every day, or at short or long intervals, according to her need. She is not required to wear specific clothing, such as white or black; rather, she wears what is customary for women in her country, provided it contains no adornment. The woman in the waiting period must adhere to four things: first, she abandons adornment in her clothing; second, she abandons adornment on her body by not wearing jewelry and not applying cosmetics that beautify her, avoiding the makeup and beautifying items she used before the waiting period, such as powders and the like; third, she avoids perfume, so she does not apply perfume to her body or her clothes, and she does not intentionally use perfume or any scented substance, such as scented soap or materials. However, she may use unscented soap, sidr, henna, and whatever improves and cleanses her hair, such as sidr or other cleansers that do not contain perfume. She may look in the mirror and sleep on the bed; she does not leave the bed on the basis that this is a form of self-reproach. No, this was not prohibited. She sleeps on the bed or on the floor, whichever is more convenient for her.
The presenter:
Yes, may Allah reward you with good and do you well. If she goes out to visit her neighbors to spend some time, is that permissible?
The Shaykh:
If this is for a need, if she feels confined, if she has no one in the house to keep her company, and she feels confined or lonely, then she may go out during the day to her neighbors. However, if she has someone to keep her company and is not in need, then she remains in the house.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you, may Allah reward you with good.
Her father passed away, and when her mother entered the waiting period, she observed the following practices: first, she wore only white clothing; she covered the mirrors; she did not take a full ritual bath except on Saturdays; she did not sleep on the bed but on the floor; and she did not leave the house at all until the waiting period ended. Is this correct, or is it an innovation? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
All of this is incorrect except for one issue, which is not leaving the house. The woman in the waiting period following her husband's death must stay in the house where her husband died. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the woman whose husband had died: "Stay in your house until the term of the decree is fulfilled." However, if she has a pressing need, or if she feels confined by staying in the house and goes out to her neighbors during the day, there is no harm in that. Going out during the day for a need is permissible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) granted a dispensation to the widows of the martyrs who were martyred at Uhud, allowing them to gather and converse during the day so that their loneliness and distress would be relieved. He ordered them to return to their respective houses at night. This is regarding leaving the house. As for what the questioner mentioned other than staying in the house, all of it is incorrect. She is permitted to take a full ritual bath as needed, whether every day, or at short or long intervals, according to her need. She is not required to wear specific clothing, such as white or black; rather, she wears what is customary for women in her country, provided it contains no adornment. The woman in the waiting period must adhere to four things: first, she abandons adornment in her clothing; second, she abandons adornment on her body by not wearing jewelry and not applying cosmetics that beautify her, avoiding the makeup and beautifying items she used before the waiting period, such as powders and the like; third, she avoids perfume, so she does not apply perfume to her body or her clothes, and she does not intentionally use perfume or any scented substance, such as scented soap or materials. However, she may use unscented soap, sidr, henna, and whatever improves and cleanses her hair, such as sidr or other cleansers that do not contain perfume. She may look in the mirror and sleep on the bed; she does not leave the bed on the basis that this is a form of self-reproach. No, this was not prohibited. She sleeps on the bed or on the floor, whichever is more convenient for her.
The presenter:
Yes, may Allah reward you with good and do you well. If she goes out to visit her neighbors to spend some time, is that permissible?
The Shaykh:
If this is for a need, if she feels confined, if she has no one in the house to keep her company, and she feels confined or lonely, then she may go out during the day to her neighbors. However, if she has someone to keep her company and is not in need, then she remains in the house.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، لاحظت على والدتها أثناء العدة أنها تلبس الأبيض ولا تغتسل إلا يوم السبت ولا تنام على السرير فهل ...؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.