Is His saying, the Exalted: “And those who are taken unto themselves from among you and leave behind wives…”

Eid Abbasi : A woman whose husband has died, and the questioner says, according to his understanding: The verse explicitly states that she must stay and not speak to anyone for four months and ten days; is there any leeway in her speaking to a mahram? Is it permissible for her to go out with him or enter the homes of a mahram?

The Shaykh : The verse does not mean fasting from speech, and this is not prescribed in Islam. Rather, it means that the woman whose husband has died does not go out, does not adorn herself, does not use perfume, and does not wear dyed clothes or jewelry as mourning for her husband. This includes that she does not leave her house. The meaning of “staying” here, in the questioner’s expression, is not staying silent from speech, but rather not leaving the house. However, if there is a dire necessity for this woman, or for a woman divorced three times, to go out, then going out in that case is permissible. But the speech from which she is prohibited is the idle chatter that our women, and our men, have been afflicted with, the excessive talk that has no benefit. And you know, with great regret, that in women’s gatherings, Allah is rarely mentioned, and the law of Allah is rarely studied. Instead, the talk is about worldly matters, types of clothing, fashions, and the like. This excessive talk is what every Muslim woman should stop, especially the woman in the waiting period, whether for death or divorce. But this does not mean that if the baker comes and knocks on the door, she goes out. In the manner of some of our brothers, as it was said to us, that when he knocks on the door, he has to understand in a way that does not resemble the way of a radio, naturally, so that she understands him and he understands her. So this speech is permissible here because it is to achieve the necessities that are required. But sitting and making conversation behind the door with the butcher’s employee or the baker… that is, as is the custom of many women today, with regret. And it is not just the idle talk, but also appearing before men without, what? A hijab. And our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, prohibited this in the Noble Qur’an and said: “And when you ask them for something, ask them from behind a screen.”

Eid Abbasi : .

The Shaykh The intention is not the hijab that a woman wears when she goes out, but rather behind a fixed screen, which is the door, the curtain hung behind the door, and the like.
This is among the matters that the Lawgiver commanded all women to do in general, and especially the women in the waiting period for death or divorce. So speech is permissible for her within the limits of need, and going out is also permissible for her within the limits of need and dire necessity. But she must not go out, for example, to visit her sister or her neighbor, as she usually does. And this kind of going out, if it is in accordance with the Shari'ah, there is no harm in it. But now, she must stay in the house and not go out. As for speech, it is permissible within the limits of Shari'ah permissibility.

The questioner : Excuse me, Professor… for example, going to the doctor; knowing that, for example, it is very easy for the doctor to come to the house, meaning, the man was…?

The Shaykh : As long as it is possible for the doctor to come and she has the doctor’s fee, it is not permissible for her to go out.
Yes.